1Designating the month of May 2014 as "Lyme Disease Awareness
2Month" in Pennsylvania.

3WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted
4primarily by ticks and is caused by the spirochete Borrelia
5burgdorferi; and

6WHEREAS, Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and
7disorders, such as babesiosis, Bartonella and ehrlichiosis, pose
8a serious threat to the quality of life of many Pennsylvanians,
9with the frequency of diagnosed and reported Lyme disease cases
10increasing dramatically over the past several years; and

11WHEREAS, The most recent 15-year surveillance study of the
12Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which study

1was published in 2008, reveals continued emergence and
2geographic expansion of Lyme disease across the United States;
3and

4WHEREAS, The CDC study reports a disproportionate increase
5among children and recommends a Public Health Action to call for
6an increase in targeted prevention strategies, tick avoidance,
7early disease recognition and early treatment interventions; and

8WHEREAS, In August 2013, the CDC released a report in which
9preliminary estimates indicate approximately 300,000 Americans
10are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, which is
11approximately ten times higher than the number of cases
12previously reported to the CDC; and

13WHEREAS, In 2009 and 2011, Pennsylvania ranked highest in the
14nation of confirmed cases of Lyme disease; and

15WHEREAS, From 2002 to 2011, Pennsylvania reported a total
1642,032 confirmed cases of Lyme disease; and

17WHEREAS, The most common way to acquire Lyme disease is to be
18bitten by a tick that carries the spirochete; and

19WHEREAS, This disease is not limited to age or ethnic
20boundaries; and

21WHEREAS, Lyme disease can cause early symptoms, including a
22rash or flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, headaches
23and fatigue, that can easily be misdiagnosed; and

24WHEREAS, If not caught early, Lyme disease can lead to
25chronic debilitating illness that is very difficult to
26eradicate; and

27WHEREAS, The prevention of Lyme disease and other tick-borne
28disorders is difficult; and

29WHEREAS, The people of this Commonwealth can greatly reduce
30their chance of tick pathogen transmission if they take proper

1caution while engaged in outdoor activities from early spring
2through late fall, as well as during a warmer winter season, and
3make frequent tick checks and remove and dispose of ticks
4promptly and properly; and

5WHEREAS, The people of this Commonwealth can greatly reduce
6the risk of Lyme disease on their properties through landscape,
7insecticide and other measures found to be effective; and

8WHEREAS, The early clinical diagnosis and appropriate
9treatment of these tick-borne disorders and diseases can greatly
10reduce the risks of continued, diverse and chronic symptoms that
11can affect every system and organ of the human body and often
12every aspect of persons' lives; therefore be it

13RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
14month of May 2014 "Lyme Disease Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania
15in a continued effort to benefit the overall health and quality
16of life of the citizens of this Commonwealth by increasing their
17awareness of the threat of infected tick bites and the potential
18seriousness of Lyme disease and other tick-borne disorders.