Bill Text: MI HR0246 | 2011-2012 | 96th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: A resolution to declare May 2012 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2012-05-02 - Adopted [HR0246 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2011-HR0246-Enrolled.html
Reps. Tyler, Barnett, Brown, Constan, Crawford, Darany, Durhal, Geiss, Goike, Haines, Heise, Huuki, Knollenberg, LeBlanc, Lindberg, Liss, Price and Slavens offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 246.
A resolution to declare May 2012 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.
Whereas, The health and well-being of the citizens of Michigan is of paramount importance to this state; and
Whereas, Lyme Disease is a common but frequently misunderstood illness
that, if not caught early and treated properly, can cause serious health problems; and
Whereas, According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health, Lyme Disease was identified and named in 1975, when arthritis was observed in a cluster of children in and around Lyme, Connecticut; and
Whereas, The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) designated Lyme Disease as a nationally notifiable disease in January 1991; and
Whereas, Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, accounting for 90 percent of all vector-borne infections. It is caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia Burg dorferi which is transmitted to the human bloodstream by the bite of various species of ticks; and
Whereas, Children aged 5 to 9 and adults in their 50's and 60's experience the highest occurrence of Lyme Disease; and
Whereas, The larvae of the ticks that carry Lyme Disease often feed from mice, squirrels, raccoons, deer, rabbits, and other animals and spread the harmful disease to wildlife and family pets alike; and
Whereas, Lyme Disease can cause early symptoms such as rash and flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue; and
Whereas, Lyme Disease can be treated with antibiotics if caught early. The disease often goes undetected because it mimics other illnesses or may be misdiagnosed. If untreated, Lyme Disease can lead to severe heart, neurological, eye, and joint problems because the bacteria can affect many different organs and organ systems; and
Whereas, During 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a total of 22,561 cases of Lyme disease were confirmed in the United States and 76 cases in Michigan, and the CDC indicates that the Lyme Disease reported cases were only 10 percent of actual cases that meet its surveillance criteria; and
Whereas, Lyme Disease Awareness Month provides an opportunity to focus on this significant and complex disease, to provide information on and raise public awareness of its causes, effects and treatments on both humans and animals, and to underscore important education and research efforts surrounding Lyme and tick-borne diseases; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare May 2012 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.
