LYME DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0614

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HR0614 - 104th General Assembly

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HR0614
LRB104 17793 MST 31225 r
1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a growing national public health
3
crisis; and

4

WHEREAS, According to the Illinois Department of Public
5
Health, Lyme disease cases are on the rise in the State; and

6

WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by
7
several different strains of bacteria that are carried and
8
spread by ticks; and

9

WHEREAS, Those who are bitten by ticks and subsequently
10
become infected with Lyme disease suffer from fever, fatigue,
11
joint pain, and skin rashes and, in the most severe cases, can
12
be afflicted by serious joint and nervous system problems; and

13

WHEREAS, In the United States, 35,000 to 45,000 cases of
14
Lyme disease are reported to the Centers for Disease Control
15
and Prevention (CDC) each year; as it is estimated that only
16
one out of every 10 cases of Lyme disease is reported, the
17
actual number of diagnosed cases is closer to 476,000
18
annually; and

19

WHEREAS, Since the late 20th century, there has been a
20
dramatic increase in the Lyme disease infection rate each

HR0614
- 2 -
LRB104 17793 MST 31225 r
1
year, with infection rates having doubled from 3.74 cases per
2
100,000 to 7.95 cases per 100,000 since 1991, indicating that
3
the disease is one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases
4
in the United States and the western world; and

5

WHEREAS, Lyme disease is difficult to diagnose as
6
diagnostic tests analyze blood samples to look for the
7
presence of antibodies, an immune response that may not be
8
detectable in the blood until many weeks after the initial
9
tick bite and infection; and

10

WHEREAS, Up to 60% of acute cases of Lyme disease are
11
misdiagnosed; and

12

WHEREAS, Those who are diagnosed with the disease early
13
and prescribed sufficient quantities of antibiotics may
14
recover quickly; and

15

WHEREAS, If the diagnosis is delayed or individuals are
16
treated with insufficient antibiotic therapy, many experience
17
late-stage symptoms that become chronic; and

18

WHEREAS, A diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease for those who
19
are not cured by antibiotics and who continue to suffer the
20
apparent effects of the disease is controversial; and

HR0614
- 3 -
LRB104 17793 MST 31225 r
1

WHEREAS, The newest research seemingly validates the
2
diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease and suggests that heretofore
3
unknown bacterial persister cells remain dormant in the body,
4
evading antibiotics and the immune system, before reinfecting
5
the individual after the standard course of antibiotics has
6
been taken; and

7

WHEREAS, Those who suffer from chronic Lyme disease
8
experience terrible symptoms and often have difficulty finding
9
treatment or answers, and many are unable to continue working;
10
and

11

WHEREAS, Public funding for Lyme disease research receives
12
less than 2% of the funding allocated for researching West
13
Nile virus and less than 0.2% of the funding that HIV/AIDS
14
research receives, despite Lyme disease having annual case
15
counts that dwarf those of both diseases; therefore, be it

16

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18
we urge the federal government to allocate more funding toward
19
finding a cure for the devastating and increasingly prevalent
20
public health crisis that is Lyme disease; and be it further

21

RESOLVED, That we encourage the Illinois State Board of
22
Education to begin health education to prevent tick bites for

HR0614
- 4 -
LRB104 17793 MST 31225 r
1
children who represent the highest risk group for tick-borne
2
diseases; and be it further

3

RESOLVED, That we declare the month of May 2026 as Lyme
4
Disease Awareness Month in the State of Illinois.

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