[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 146 (Tuesday, September 27, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S6134]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              LYME DISEASE

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. President, today I wish to discuss a serious threat my 
constituents face when they travel on one of the 270 trails, spread out 
over 700 miles, in Illinois. Unfortunately, hikers share these trails 
with bacteria-carrying ticks, which can infect travelers with a variety 
of diseases, including Lyme disease.
  For those infected, Lyme disease manifests in multiple ways, 
including fever, fatigue, rashes, and severe pain. Current diagnostic 
tests are unreliable, causing many people with the condition to be 
misdiagnosed. Left untreated, it can lead to even more serious and 
debilitating illnesses.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, 
Lyme disease is the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the 
country, with an estimated 300,000 people infected each year. The CDC 
also reports that the species of ticks that spread Lyme disease now 
live in 46 percent of the Nation's counties.
  I commend Senators Blumenthal and Ayotte for introducing the Lyme and 
Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act, S. 1503, 
and I urge my colleagues to join me as a cosponsor of this critical 
bill. The legislation will better coordinate the Federal Government's 
response to tick-borne diseases by creating an advisory committee 
within the Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, to be 
comprised of patients, physicians, researchers, and government 
officials who will be tasked with identifying best scientific practices 
to combat tick-borne diseases. The bill requires the HHS Secretary to 
strengthen disease surveillance and reporting, develop better 
diagnostic tests, create a physician-education program, and establish 
epidemiological research objectives for Lyme and other tick-borne 
illnesses.
  The prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne disease cases in recent 
years demands a strong and coordinated effort at the Federal level. Now 
is the time to pass this critical legislation.

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