State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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91_SR0132

 
                                              SRS91SR0021MNsa

 1                          SENATE RESOLUTION

 2        WHEREAS, 49 states have reported over  124,000  cases  of
 3    Lyme  disease  since  1980,  with  the actual number of cases
 4    closer to millions of people across the country; and

 5        WHEREAS, Lyme disease is the most common  tick-borne  and
 6    vector-borne  disease  -  representing  more than 90% of such
 7    cases; and

 8        WHEREAS, people infected with the disease live  in  every
 9    state in the Union; and

10        WHEREAS,  the  largest  economic study of Lyme disease by
11    the Lyme Disease Foundation, Society of  Actuaries,  and  New
12    York  University  Stem  School  of  Business shows direct and
13    indirect costs of Lyme disease to American society are over a
14    billion dollars per year; and

15        WHEREAS, this study showed that medical  bills  for  Lyme
16    disease  treatment  was only 50% of the total costs incurred;
17    and

18        WHEREAS, this study showed patients with serious  disease
19    cost  an average of $70,000 per case and took an average of 5
20    physicians to get diagnosed - the same number  of  visits  as
21    those patients whose symptoms include the telltale Lyme rash;
22    and

23        WHEREAS,  patients'  symptoms can include mental anguish,
24    lost work time,  lost  school  time,  disruption  in  marital
25    relationship, and death; and

26        WHEREAS,  the manifestations of early disease may be mild
27    flu-like symptoms and/or an enlarging rash and may first show
28    up as serious late disseminated disease; and

29        WHEREAS, untreated Lyme disease  can  affect  every  body
30    system,  causing  serious, and sometimes permanent, damage to
 
                            -2-               SRS91SR0021MNsa
 1    the brain, joints, heart, eyes, liver, spleen, blood vessels,
 2    and kidneys; and

 3        WHEREAS, Lyme disease bacteria can cross the placenta and
 4    possibly affect fetal development; and

 5        WHEREAS, Lyme disease is spread primarily by the bite  of
 6    a tick infected with the bacterium Borrella burgdorferi; and

 7        WHEREAS,    infected    ticks   can   be   carried   into
 8    out-of-habitat areas by a wide variety of animals and  birds,
 9    and infect people in those areas; and

10        WHEREAS,  Lyme  disease and other tick-borne diseases are
11    bound  by  no  seasonal  limitations  -  ticks  transmit  the
12    diseases year-round, and patients suffer year-round; and

13        WHEREAS, Lyme disease-carrying ticks can be found  across
14    the country - in woods, parks, beaches, and yards; and

15        WHEREAS,  Lyme  disease is most easily treated as soon as
16    the tick bite or symptoms occur, and  is  more  difficult  to
17    treat  if not discovered before dissemination occurs, and for
18    some may not be curable; and

19        WHEREAS, pets (cats, dogs) and livestock  (cows,  horses,
20    goats)  can  also  be  infected  with Lyme disease as well as
21    other tick-borne disorders; and

22        WHEREAS, Lyme disease imitates other  conditions  and  is
23    therefore often misdiagnosed; and

24        WHEREAS,  Lyme  disease  is difficult to diagnose because
25    there is no reliable test that can prove who is  infected  or
26    prove a patient has become bacteria-free; and

27        WHEREAS,  Lyme  disease was first described in Germany in
28    1883, the first US-acquired case was described by a Wisconsin
29    physician in 1970; and
 
                            -3-               SRS91SR0021MNsa
 1        WHEREAS, the best solution to the disease  is  prevention
 2    through awareness; and

 3        WHEREAS,  awareness  through  education  is  essential to
 4    making  the   general   public,   healthcare   professionals,
 5    employers,   and   insurers   more  knowledgeable  about  the
 6    seriousness of tick-borne  diseases  and  more  compassionate
 7    toward patients and their families; and

 8        WHEREAS,  people need to conduct prevention techniques to
 9    prevent   other   tick   transmitted   diseases,   such    as
10    ehrlichiosis,  babesiosia,  tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted
11    fever, tick paralysis, Colorado  tick  fever,  and  relapsing
12    fever; and

13        WHEREAS,  the  best  prevention against these diseases is
14    tick-reduction property management, tick-bite prevention, and
15    proper tick removal; and

16        WHEREAS,  prevention  measures  can  significantly   help
17    reduce  the  number  of  people  who have the disease, no one
18    control method offers a perfect solution to all  tick  spread
19    diseases; and

20        WHEREAS,  Illinois  has  had 220 reported cases, which is
21    only a fraction of the people affected by the disease in this
22    state; and

23        RESOLVED, BY  THE  SENATE  OF  THE  NINETY-FIRST  GENERAL
24    ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, That June is declared Lyme
25    Disease   Awareness   Month.    And,   be  it  resolved  that
26    organizations and support groups that help educate the public
27    regarding prevention, early detection, and management of  the
28    aforementioned diseases are honored for their efforts; and

29        RESOLVED, that Willy Burgdorfer, PhD, MD (hon), a Montana
30    researcher   who   is  Scientist  Emeritus  of  the  National
31    Institutes of Health and founding board member of  the  first
 
                            -4-               SRS91SR0021MNsa
 1    organization  dedicated  to  Lyme  disease - the Lyme Disease
 2    Foundation - is honored for his discovery  of  the  causative
 3    agent  of Lyme disease and his dedication to improving Public
 4    Health.

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