Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara announced new laws now in effect in New York State aimed at Lyme disease awareness and prevention. Lyme disease is one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the country and one of the most difficult to diagnose. At this point experts in the medical and scientific community consider Lyme disease to be an epidemic, a public health crisis and a growing threat to the health of our communities. With new tick borne diseases and the tick population growing each year, more and more are being infected.

One of the measures establishes a task force that will bring a variety of experts on tick-borne diseases together in a collaborative effort for better diagnosis, prevention and treatment. The working group includes commissioners from the Department of Health, Office of Mental Health, Environmental Conservation, and other departments in additional to an infectious disease specialist, a general practitioner, a mental health practitioner, an entomologist, an epidemiologist, a representative of health insurance providers and a representative of a tick-borne disease advocacy organization. Recommendations will be focused on improvements to the delivery of care, collaboration at the county, state, and federal level, data collection, reporting, and other issues as determined by the task force. “It’s important that we take action to protect our communities from Lyme disease,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “This new task force is an important step in helping to identify the issues of widespread Lyme disease and contribute toward the development of a vaccine to protect our communities from this rapidly growing illness.”

A second measure will require the installation of warning signs at all state parks, trail entryways, and campgrounds to indicate the need for caution when heading into areas prone to hosting ticks. The signs provide park visitors with helpful tips on how to minimize the risk and what to do if you find a tick bite. “Tick bites can cause Lyme disease and other infections, threatening the health of our family,” said Assemblyman Santabarbara. “Summer is upon us. As we spend more time outside enjoying the nice weather, it’s important to know what steps you can take to protect yourself from tick-borne illnesses.”

Annually, there are estimated to be 300,000 cases of Lyme disease nationally which means about 25,000 new cases each month. In New York State more than 8,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year and an additional 1,000+ cases of other tick-borne diseases—there many more that go unreported. If left untreated, the illness can develop into chronic Lyme disease, which can severely affect the nervous system, heart, muscles and joints, as well as several other vital functions.