Declare Lyme Awareness Month

Senate Resolution No. 735 BY: Senator HINCHEY MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2025, as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the State of New York WHEREAS, The health and well-being of the citizens of the State of New York are of paramount importance to this Legislative Body; and WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a common but frequently misunderstood illness that, if not caught early and treated properly, can cause serious health problems; and WHEREAS, According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health, Lyme disease was identified in 1977, when arthritis was observed in a cluster of children in and around Lyme, Connecticut; and WHEREAS, The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) designated Lyme disease as a nationally notifiable disease in January of

1991; and WHEREAS, Lyme disease, found in approximately 80 countries worldwide, is caused by the bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of an infected black legged tick, Ixodes Scapularis, commonly called the deer tick; and WHEREAS, There are more than a dozen tick-borne illnesses in the United States, in addition to Lyme disease; one tick may carry more than one disease resulting in people receiving more than one "co-infection" from a single tick bite; and WHEREAS, It is difficult to diagnose co-infections because symptoms are very common, but co-infections generally result in a more severe illness, with more symptoms and a longer recovery period; and WHEREAS, Those with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases can present symptoms that mimic and can sometimes be misdiagnosed as mental illness, depression, nutritional deficiencies or Alzheimer's disease; and WHEREAS, Infected ticks normally live on deer and mice and the majority of tick bites occur in the summer months when ticks are most active, and when more people are enjoying the outdoors; and WHEREAS, According to the CDC, Lyme disease is found most frequently in the upper Midwest and northeast United States; in 2023, 84% of Lyme disease cases were reported from 10 states: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Maine, Maryland, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Massachusetts; and WHEREAS, The federal CDC estimated that 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year while only 89,000 cases of the disease were actually reported in 2023; and WHEREAS, Lyme disease became reportable in New York State in 1986 and in 2023 there were over 22,000 reported cases of Lyme disease in the state; and WHEREAS, Lyme disease is hard to diagnose because the most common sign individuals and doctors look for when determining if one contracted Lyme disease is a red bull's eye rash surrounding the tick bite ("erythema migrans"); however, this rash does not appear in 20-30% of Lyme disease cases; the other indications of this disease are common flu-like symptoms and joint pain, which often lead to misdiagnosis; and WHEREAS, With the arrival of Spring, more people will enjoy the outdoors and come into contact with ticks; the observance of Lyme Disease Awareness Month provides an opportunity for the State of New York to focus on and bring awareness of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases to its citizens; and WHEREAS, Lyme Disease Awareness Month provides an opportunity to focus on this significant and complex disease, to provide information on and raise public awareness of its causes, effects and treatments, and to underscore important education and research efforts surrounding Lyme and tick-borne diseases; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2025, as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New York.