PORTOLA VALLEY, Calif., May 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a leading sponsor of Lyme disease research in the US, today announced it has united efforts with Twin Cities Lyme Foundation (TCLF), a 6-year-old organization focused on raising awareness and aiding in the early detection of Lyme disease throughout Minnesota, to further advance the fight against tick-borne diseases in the Midwest.

“We have long collaborated with Twin Cities Lyme Foundation and are impressed with their work in addition to being grateful for the ongoing partnership, support and efforts of its founders over the past 8 years,” said Linda Giampa, executive director, Bay Area Lyme Foundation. “Our national footprint allows us to identify innovative research throughout the US, particularly on the East and West coasts, and provide valuable information about tick ecology across the country. Uniting our efforts further strengthens our work in the Midwest and creates greater opportunities to advance our mission of making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure.”

Lisa and Peter Najarian started TCLF in 2018 with guidance from Bay Area Lyme Foundation, and TCLF will now be folded into Bay Area Lyme Foundation. Over the past 6 years, TCLF has increased awareness of Lyme disease and has helped numerous Lyme patients in the Midwest. The Najarians carefully created a thoughtful charitable foundation in their quest for an accurate diagnostic and a desire to educate physicians with information about tick-borne diseases.

“In an effort to better serve a broader community of those in need, Twin Cities Lyme Foundation is grateful to unite with Bay Area Lyme Foundation. Together, with our combined strength and support, the trajectory of eradication of this disease is maximized. We will continue to collectively shed a brighter light in dark places,” said Lisa Najarian, founder of Twin Cities Lyme Foundation.

Lisa and Peter will be joining the Bay Area Lyme Foundation Advisory Board and will continue to be spokespeople and advocates for Lyme patients everywhere.

About Lyme disease

The most common vector-borne infectious disease in the US, Lyme disease is a potentially disabling infection caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick to people and pets, and may also be passed from a pregnant mother to her unborn baby. If caught early, most cases of Lyme disease can be effectively treated, but it is commonly misdiagnosed due to lack of awareness and unreliable diagnostic tests. There are almost 500,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year, according to statistics released in 2018 by the CDC. As a result of the difficulty in diagnosing and treating Lyme disease, more than one million Americans may be suffering from the impact of its debilitating long-term symptoms and complications, according to Bay Area Lyme Foundation estimates.

About Bay Area Lyme Foundation

Bay Area Lyme Foundation, a national organization committed to making Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure, is the leading public not-for-profit sponsor of innovative Lyme disease research in the US. A 501(c)(3) organization based in Silicon Valley, Bay Area Lyme Foundation collaborates with world-class scientists and institutions to accelerate medical breakthroughs for Lyme disease. It is also dedicated to providing reliable, fact-based information so that prevention and the importance of early treatment are common knowledge. A pivotal donation from The LaureL STEM FUND covers overhead costs and allows for 100% of all donor contributions to the Bay Area Lyme Foundation to go directly to research and prevention programs. For more information about Lyme disease or to get involved, visit www.bayarealyme.org or call us at 650-530-2439.

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Tara DiMilia
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