State lawmakers are hoping to significantly lower the number of Lyme disease cases in Delaware with two new pieces of legislation.
The first lets DNREC create a tick eradication program – similar to the one already in place for mosquitoes. Tick bites are the most common form of transmitting the disease, which can cause arthritis and nervous system problems if left untreated.
Another bill pushes better education about Lyme disease to healthcare workers in an effort to more quickly diagnose and treat it, which can be cured completely in its early stages.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 96 percent of all confirmed cases come from 14 states – most of which are in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Looking at a map showing confirmed cases, House Speaker and bill sponsor Pete Schwartzkopf (D-Rehoboth Beach), says we’re in the heart of it.
“It’s almost like the original 13 colonies and it’s not a couple dots, it’s like someone spilled the [ink bottle] all over on top of it and Delaware is right smack in the middle of it,” Schwartzkopf said.
Confirmed Lyme disease cases have dropped steadily since a high of 984 cases in 2009, but still numbered 400 in 2013 – the most recent year available.
Despite the high per capita rate, Schwartzkopf says he doesn’t think the state dropped the ball on reacting to Lyme disease.
“I don’t think Delaware knew there was a ball in the game for a while. We did the task force, we learned a lot during the task force. None of us knew until that map surfaced that it was a centralized problem.”
Any tick eradication program will need funding from the budget writing Joint Finance Committee if the bill is approved.
Both bills now await committee hearings
