Delgado Introduces Increased Funding for Lyme Disease in Appropriations Package

Madam chair, I yield myself as much time as I may consume the gentleman is recognized Madam Chair upstate New York and communities across the country are experiencing an unprecedented increase in Lyme disease and tickborne diseases at all 14 of the town halls. I've held in my district this term folks ask me what is Congress doing about Lyme disease today? I'm offering an amendment to better understand and prevent this disease The amendment as one million dollars in critical C funding for the prevention diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease This package of appropriations bills makes critical investments in our priorities but as temperatures rise and families spend more time outside, we must invest more in treating and preventing line Lime disease is a devastating disease that can often go undetected as it travels through text tiny bugs that reside in dense force in rule areas, areas found all across my district in upstate New York while most lime disease patients who are diagnosed and treated early can fully recover 10 to 20 percent of patients suffer from persistent symptoms symptoms which for some Chronic and disabling These numbers are even more startling as we consider that over the last 25 years, Lyme disease has increased by more than 300 percent in the Northeastern States in 2017. There were 3502 confirmed cases of Tickborne Lyme in New York State alone Madam chair. I have five year old Twin boys and whenever I do bath time a check for ticks and they've been a few scary moments where I've actually had to pull ticks out of my little boys It is a frightening experience Parents myself included are sending their children into their backyard or local Park, with fears they could return with a chronic lifelong and potentially disabling disease But this is not just a medical amoral issue Lyme disease is costing our economy How much money are the American people spending on this disease as we still so still know so little about it Studies indicate that lime disease costs approximately one point three billion each year and direct medical cost alone in the United States. The American people are spending one point three billion on the symptoms of the disease rather than investing in medical research to treat and prevent it This figure doesn't Can address the opportunity cost of failing to act to address Lyme disease in our communities? How will our local economy attract hours when people can't when people can get sick What is the cost of keeping children cooped up inside rather enjoying the outdoors for fear of tickborne illnesses upstate New Yorkers and communities struggling with tick populations need medical solutions now to stop this disease in its tracks prompt diagnosis and treatment of tickborne diseases are crucial to prevent longterm complications today available Music test can be inaccurate and complex to interpret especially during the earliest stage of infection. When treatment is most effective My amendment offers trying to better understand the disease and allow for research to develop a more effective treatment of the disease Unlike and other infectious disease settings tested directly measure. The presence of the infecting organism are not available for Lyme disease This leaves physicians without the tools needed to diagnose and without an accurate diagnosis is challenging position for physicians to provide Treatment the disease requires specialized treatments which requires real investment in research to better manage and prevent the disease Madam Speaker time to invest is now indeed, the National Science Foundation has declared that Lyme disease is an emerging global bed pandemic due to climate change I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, not a Speaker. I'd like to Reserve the balance of my time