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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