MARSHFIELD – People in northern Wisconsin who have been bitten recently by a tick and have developed symptoms consistent with Lyme disease or other tick-borne infections are encouraged to participate in research efforts to accelerate medical breakthroughs in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of these diseases.
Participants will be asked to donate a small sample of blood and urine and fill out forms reporting their symptoms. These will become part of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation Lyme Disease Biobank, which provides biological samples to researchers exploring potential new diagnostics and treatments for this disease.
Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is collaborating with the Lyme Disease Biobank, a program of Bay Area Lyme Foundation, to add patients to the Biobank. The Research Institute, which is part of Marshfield Clinic Health System, is one of nine health care organizations participating in the Biobank, and the only one in Wisconsin with collection locations in Eau Claire, Lake Hallie, Marshfield, Minocqua, Wausau and Weston.
As the most common vector-borne infectious disease in the country, Lyme disease is a potentially disabling infection caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick to people and pets.
To sign up for the study or to find out if you qualify, call Lisa Kauffman at 715-389-5738.
