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PRINTER'S NO. 814
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
105
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, BLAKE, FARNESE, SABATINA, FONTANA,
DINNIMAN, ARGALL, BREWSTER, BROWNE, SCAVELLO, AUMENT,
HUTCHINSON, WHITE, FOLMER, RAFFERTY, KILLION, BARTOLOTTA,
MENSCH, VOGEL, HUGHES, REGAN, VULAKOVICH AND YAW, MAY 8, 2017
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, MAY 8, 2017
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of May 2017 as "Lyme and Tick-borne
Disease Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted
primarily by ticks and is caused by the spirochete Borrelia
burgdorferi; and
WHEREAS, Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases such as
Babesiosis, Bartonellosis, Rocky Mountian spotted fever,
Ehrlichiosis and others pose a serious threat to the quality of
life of many Pennsylvanians, with the frequency of diagnosed and
reported Lyme disease cases increasing dramatically over the
past several years; and
WHEREAS, The most recent 15-year surveillance study of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which was
published in 2008, reveals continued emergence and geographic
expansion of Lyme disease across the United States; and
WHEREAS, The CDC study reports a disproportionate increase
among children and recommends a Public Health Action to call for
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an increase in targeted prevention strategies, tick avoidance,
early disease recognition and early treatment interventions; and
WHEREAS, In August 2013, the CDC released a report stating
that preliminary estimates indicate approximately 300,000
Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year, and this
amount is approximately 10 times higher than the number of cases
previously reported to the CDC every year; and
WHEREAS, In the last six years, Pennsylvania ranked highest
in the country in the number of confirmed cases of Lyme disease;
and
WHEREAS, In 2016, Pennsylvania reported 12,200 cases, which
translates to 122,000 new cases and approximately 40% of the
nation's cases in Pennsylvania alone, and reflects another
increase from 2015's 10,817 new cases (provisional data); and
WHEREAS, In 2015, a Department of Environmental Protection
published study confirmed a high risk of Lyme disease in every
county of this Commonwealth, as 67 counties had the blacklegged
tick, verifying that every Pennsylvanian, from Philadelphia to
Erie, must take precautions to prevent the spread of Lyme
disease; and
WHEREAS, The most common way to acquire Lyme and related
diseases is to be bitten by a tick that carries the spirochete;
and
WHEREAS, This disease is not limited to age or ethnic
boundaries; and
WHEREAS, Lyme disease can cause early symptoms, including a
rash or flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, headaches
and fatigue, that can easily be misdiagnosed; and
WHEREAS, If not caught early, Lyme disease can lead to a
chronic debilitating illness that is very difficult to
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eradicate; and
WHEREAS, The prevention of Lyme disease and other tick-borne
disorders is difficult; and
WHEREAS, Residents of this Commonwealth can greatly reduce
their chance of tick pathogen transmission if they take proper
caution while engaged in outdoor activities from early spring
through late fall, as well as during a warmer winter season, and
make frequent tick checks and remove and dispose of ticks
promptly and properly; and
WHEREAS, Residents of this Commonwealth can greatly reduce
the risk of Lyme disease on their properties through landscape,
insecticide and other measures that have been found to be
effective; and
WHEREAS, The schools of this Commonwealth can greatly reduce
the risk of Lyme and related diseases among schoolchildren
through prevention education and precautions, including
instruction to parents regarding steps to take before and after
school-related activities such as field trips and sports; and
WHEREAS, Residents of this Commonwealth should be aware of
early, disseminated and late/persistent symptoms, and that a
negative Lyme test cannot rule out Lyme disease; and
WHEREAS, The early clinical diagnosis and appropriate
treatment of these tick-borne disorders and diseases can greatly
reduce the risks of continued, diverse and chronic symptoms that
can affect every system and organ of the human body and often
every aspect of a person's life; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of May 2017 as
"Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania in
a continued effort to benefit the overall health and quality of
life of the residents of this Commonwealth by increasing their
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awareness of the threat of tick bites and the potential
seriousness of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.
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