Senate Resolution No. 991

BY: Senator HINCHEY

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
May 2023, 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 2019, 91% of Lyme
disease cases were reported from 14 states: Connecticut, Delaware,
Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Wisconsin; and

WHEREAS, The federal CDC estimated that 476,000 people are diagnosed
and treated for Lyme disease each year while only 35,000 cases of the
disease are actually reported; and

WHEREAS, Lyme disease became reportable in New York State in 1986
and there have been approximately 26,000 diagnosed cases of Lyme disease
in the state between 2017 and 2019; and

WHEREAS, Over a 13-year period, Lyme disease was the listed cause of
death of nine New York residents outside of New York City, with five
victims from the mid-Hudson Valley region; 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 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 May 2023, 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.