[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6209-S6211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LYME AND TICK-BORNE DISEASE PREVENTION, EDUCATION, AND RESEARCH ACT OF
2015
Ms. AYOTTE. Mr. President, today I wish to speak on the importance of
passing legislation to address a serious issue that impacts New
Hampshire, New England, and the rest of the country each year, the
issue of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
This fall, as the leaves begin to turn and temperatures start to
drop, millions of Americans will head outdoors to hike and otherwise
experience the beauty of nature. In my home State of New Hampshire,
hiking is one of the State's most popular recreational activities. New
Hampshire is also among the 14 States through which the Appalachian
Trail runs. Stretching from Georgia to Maine, the Appalachian Trail
spans nearly 2,190 miles, and is hiked annually by 2 to 3 million
people.
While our attention in the Northeast usually turns to the dangers of
ticks in the spring and summer months, adult blacklegged ticks, also
known as deer ticks, are still active in the fall. Approximately half
of these deer ticks carry Lyme disease, and they have played a leading
role in our Nation's dramatic rise in tick-borne diseases. While
approximately 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported annually by
State health departments, according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention CDC, the actual number of cases each year is about
300,000, making Lyme disease the most commonly reported vector-borne
illness in the country. Underscoring that Lyme is no longer simply a
regional problem, the CDC reports that the species of ticks that spread
Lyme disease now live in 46 percent of the Nation's counties.
That is why I am continuing to urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting the bipartisan Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention,
Education, and Research Act, S. 1503. Working with Senator Blumenthal,
I coauthored and introduced this legislation which is designed to
better coordinate the Federal Government's response to Lyme and other
tick-borne diseases by creating an advisory committee within the
Department of Health and Human Services HHS. The committee established
under our bill would be tasked with identifying best practices to
combat tick-borne diseases and would be comprised of patients,
advocates, researchers, medical professionals, and government
officials. Our legislation would also require the HHS Secretary to
coordinate efforts to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting,
develop better diagnostic tools and tests, create a physician education
program, establish epidemiological research objectives for Lyme and
other tick-borne illnesses, and report to Congress on the progress of
efforts to combat these devastating diseases.
The significant increase in cases of Lyme and other tick-borne
diseases over the past decade is extremely troubling, and it demands a
strong and coordinated effort at the Federal level. This critical
legislation has been endorsed by nearly 100 Lyme and tick-borne disease
patient groups, along with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Despite the staggering statistics, the voices of those who are living
and struggling with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases have not
adequately been heard. Senator Blumenthal and I have put forth a
commonsense, bipartisan legislative proposal that will bring greater
attention to Lyme disease and give patients and their families a
greater say in their care.
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I ask my colleagues to cosponsor the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease
Prevention, Education, and Research Act, and I urge the Senate to
follow the lead of the House by passing legislation that will help more
effectively prevent, diagnosis, and treat Lyme disease.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, as leaves begin to turn and
temperatures begin to drop, millions of Americans will head outdoors
this fall to hike. In Connecticut, hikers will flock to trails in the
State's 107 parks and 32 State forests, which together account for more
than 200,000 acres.
While ticks are often thought of as spring and summer pests, ticks
that carry the disease are still active in the fall. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, Lyme disease is the
most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the country, with more
than 300,000 people becoming 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. The spread of Lyme disease, paired
with a lack of action at the Federal level, has led tens of thousands
of Americans to become infected, disrupting patients' lives and placing
major emotional and financial burden on families.
With this in mind, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the
bipartisan Lyme and Tick Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and
Research Act, S. 1503. The legislation is designed to better coordinate
the Federal Government's response to tick-borne diseases by creating an
advisory committee within the Department of Health and Human Services,
HHS, that would be tasked with identifying best practices to combat
tick-borne diseases. The group would be comprised of patients,
advocates, researchers, medical professionals, and government
officials. The bill would also require the HHS Secretary to coordinate
efforts to strengthen disease surveillance and reporting, develop
better diagnostic tools and tests, create a physician-education
program, establish epidemiological research objectives for Lyme and
other tick-borne illnesses, and prepare regular reports to Congress on
the progress of efforts to combat these devastating diseases.
The rapid rise in active Lyme and other tick-borne disease cases over
the past decade demands a strong and coordinated effort at the Federal
level to address the public health threat to our Nation. This critical
legislation has been endorsed by hundreds of Lyme and tick-borne
disease patient groups, along with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy,
ATC. According to a 2014 Appalachian Trail hiker survey, 9 percent of
respondents reported that they had been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
Our colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives have already
passed this critical legislation, and now it is our turn. I urge our
Senate colleagues to join as cosponsors, and help pass this critical
measure expeditiously. Thank you.
Mrs. GILLIBRAND. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of
legislation to address a serious public health concern: the spread of
Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in the United States.
In my home State of New York, there were 37,977 reported cases of
Lyme disease between 2005 and 2014, one of the most heavily affected
populations in the country. This disease affects hundreds of thousands
of people around the Nation and is the most commonly reported vector-
borne illness in the United States, with an estimated 300,000 people
becoming infected each year. The species of ticks that spread Lyme
disease now live in 46 percent of the Nation's counties.
If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics.
Unfortunately, the disease can be difficult to diagnose because its
symptoms mimic the symptoms of other serious diseases and because
existing diagnostic tests still have many limitations. As a result,
Lyme disease often goes undetected or misdiagnosed, making effective
treatment of patients more difficult. Untreated Lyme disease can be
debilitating and result in severe pain and suffering.
To help address this epidemic, I urge my Senate colleagues to help
pass the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and
Research Act, S. 1503. The House of Representatives approved this
legislation over a year ago, and we must now come together to pass this
bill in the Senate as soon as possible.
The Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research
Act, would coordinate Federal efforts to address Lyme and other trick-
borne diseases. It would create an advisory committee within the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, made up of patients,
advocates, researchers, health care providers, and government officials
tasked with identifying best practices for combatting tick-borne
diseases. It would also direct the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human
Services to carry out activities coordinated across agencies to improve
data collection, develop better diagnostic tests, enhance prevention
and public awareness activities, and support clinical research into
treatments.
The prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne disease cases in this
country demands a strong and coordinated effort at the Federal level.
The Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act
is a critical step toward ending this epidemic.
I strongly encourage my colleagues in the Senate to cosponsor and
help pass this legislation to improve our Federal response to tackling
Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Thank you.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, today I wish to speak about the issue of
Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Fall is a beautiful time of year,
especially in Maine, as it is the season for hiking, hunting, and leaf-
peeping. Unfortunately, fall is also tick season and a time of
increased risk of Lyme disease.
Each year, 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the Centers
of Disease Control and Prevention. The most recent CDC data noted that
96 percent of those cases were concentrated in just 14 States in the
Upper Midwest and Northeast. Maine has one of the highest and fastest
growing incident rates of the disease, with cases increasing from 225
in 2004 to 1,169 cases in 2014.
Fall is a time of heightened risk because the immature ticks, or
nymphs, that fed heavily during the late spring and early summer have
now molted into adults and must feed again. Although larger and easier
to spot than the tiny nymphs, they are numerous and active.
Lyme disease was long thought to be a form of juvenile arthritis and
was not identified as being spread by ticks until 1976. It is still
considered an emerging disease and knowledge gaps remain. For example,
diagnostic methods for tick-borne illnesses have not advanced as much
as they should have. Consequently, the validity and accuracy of
information regarding the incidence and geographic spread of the
disease may be lacking. Now, another tick-borne disease called
anaplasmosis is emerging, carried by the same blacklegged tick as Lyme
disease and with symptoms that are similar in nature but often more
severe.
The rapid spread of these diseases is alarming and makes it essential
that Federal, State, and local health agencies, public health
organizations, and the scientific community work together to improve
prevention and detection efforts, as well as to accelerate research to
address this crucial public-health challenge. This is the reason why I
have cosponsored the Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education,
and Research Act introduced by Senators Blumenthal and Ayotte, which
would help ensure that necessary resources are dedicated to fighting
tick-borne diseases.
Prevention and treatment are crucial because there are currently no
vaccines for Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, anaplasmosis,
or other tick-borne diseases. In order to mount a strong national
prevention and treatment effort, the legislation would create a tick-
borne diseases committee that would consist of physicians, scientists,
public health leaders, health agency officials, patients, and patient
advocates. This national advisory body would help bring needed focus to
improve reporting methods, better diagnostic tools, and more
coordinated efforts from local to Federal levels.
With individual precautions, we all can reduce our risk of Lyme
disease and other tick-borne illnesses and continue to enjoy the
outdoors. With a national effort, we can stop the spread of these
devastating diseases and protect the health of all. I encourage my
colleagues to support this legislation.
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