Bill Text: CA SCR80 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Chaptered

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Bill Title: Lyme Disease Awareness Month.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-05-24 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 22, Statutes of 2010. [SCR80 Detail]

Download: California-2009-SCR80-Chaptered.html

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BILL NUMBER: SCR 80	CHAPTERED
	BILL TEXT

	RESOLUTION CHAPTER  22
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  MAY 24, 2010
	ADOPTED IN SENATE  APRIL 15, 2010
	ADOPTED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 20, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Wolk

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2010

   Relative to Lyme Disease Awareness Month.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 80, Wolk. Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
   This measure would proclaim the month of May 2010 as Lyme Disease
Awareness Month.



   WHEREAS, Lyme disease is an often-misunderstood illness that can
cause serious health problems if it is not caught early and properly
treated; and
   WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the
spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and is primarily transmitted by the
bite of an infected tick. The disease was first identified in North
America in the 1970s in Lyme, Connecticut, for which it was named,
and since that time, the disease has since been found in all 50 of
the United States. The reach of Lyme disease is global, having been
reported in more than 50 countries on six continents and several
islands; and
   WHEREAS, Lyme disease is a complex, multisystem illness. Early
signs of infection may include rash and flu-like symptoms, including
fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue. Usually, the disease
responds well to prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics. If
untreated or inadequately treated, however, Lyme disease can invade
multiple organs of the body, including the brain and nervous system.
In those instances, patients can become increasingly disabled over
time, suffering crippling muscle and joint pain, neurological
impairment, psychological disorders, and a host of other symptoms
that can lead to financial hardship, job loss, broken families,
increased numbers of people on disability or welfare, and even death;
and
   WHEREAS, Since there is no reliable form of testing that can
accurately pinpoint Lyme disease, getting a proper diagnosis and
prompt treatment is often extremely difficult; and
   WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) statistics, an average of 22,000 new cases of Lyme
disease are reported in the United States each year. The CDC,
however, estimates that more than 90 percent of Lyme disease cases
are not reported, suggesting a total of approximately 220,000 cases a
year. This total is about five times the number of new AIDS cases
per year. Up to 40 percent of Lyme disease cases result in long-term
health problems, suggesting approximately 88,000 patients annually;
and
   WHEREAS, Ticks have three life stages: larval, nymphal, and adult,
and both nymphs and adults can transmit diseases to humans. Ticks
attach themselves to host animals such as deer, rodents, and birds,
and as the host animals migrate to new areas, so do the ticks. Most
people who contract Lyme disease get it from the bite of a nymphal
tick and because nymphs are as small as poppy seeds and their bite is
painless, many people do not notice or remove them. The longer a
tick is attached to the body, the more likely it will transmit
whatever diseases it carries; and
   WHEREAS, In California, the Lyme disease bacterium is transmitted
by the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus). Ticks are active
year round, especially when it is wet; thus, this tick is most common
in the coastal regions and along the western slope of the Sierra
Nevada range, but has been found in 56 of California's 58 counties;
and
   WHEREAS, In some areas of California, Lyme disease infection rates
of nymphal ticks have been found to be as high as 42 percent; thus,
the infection rate in certain regions of California is among the
highest in the entire United States. However, since some areas of the
state have not been tested for tick infection, the true scope of the
problem is not known; and
   WHEREAS, Although Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne
infection in the United States, the ticks that spread Lyme disease
can also spread other diseases at the same time. Among these
coinfections are diseases such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and
ehrlichiosis. The presence of coinfections can complicate the
treatment of Lyme disease; and
   WHEREAS, Recently, three new borrelial species belonging to the
Lyme disease spirochetal complex have been described, thus increasing
the number of these bacteria known to occur in California to five
and making California the locus of more distinct borrelia species
than any other geographical region in the United States; and
   WHEREAS, The Legislature finds that this disease presents a health
threat to Californians; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby proclaims the month
of May 2010 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.