Seward Appointed To Panel
Leading Lyme-Disease Fight
ALBANY – State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, has been appointed to the Senate Task Force on Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases, charged with improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of these diseases.
“As chair of the Insurance Committee and representative of an area where tick-borne illnesses continue to spread, Senator Seward brings a valuable perspective that will help increase public awareness and prevent Lyme disease,” said Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, who made the appointment. If you’ve noticed an increase of ticks in your garden during the summer, it may be within your best interest to get in touch with a pest control company similar to terminix arizona (if you live in and around this area) to finally get this issue resolved. You don’t want to issue to get worse.
Said Seward, “It is clear that Lyme disease and other TBDs are spreading to new areas of the state – I hear from constituents regularly who have been infected – and we need to intensify our efforts.” From speaking to a doctor about early symptoms of this disease to being able to buy an at home lyme disease test kit to find out for yourself, these two steps in particular are ones that anyone suffering from the symptoms of Lymes should at least consider, as the longer you leave it, the worse it may become.
Of course, many doctors will agree that diagnosing Lyme disease can be difficult at times. Home testing kits can be useful for the public, but if they’re still concerned after taking one, they should try and a seek a clinic that can diagnose them confidently and can then proceed to look at treatment options to ensure the symptoms start reducing.
The task force has been working since 2013, and its accomplishments two laws passed last year that require the Department of Health to design a Lyme and TBD awareness program and require the state to create age-appropriate educational materials that would be readily available to schools. Another new law passed this year will help keep kids safer through the use of insect repellent at summer camps.
Senator Seward is also co-sponsoring newly introduced legislation (S.6926) to create a specific protocol to notify individuals of their diagnoses related to Lyme and other TBDs. The Senate bill would require the Commissioner of Health to work with health care providers to develop a standard protocol and patient notification for the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme and TBDs.
While the Northeast United States continues to be one of the hardest-hit regions for Lyme – it was first discovered in Old Lyme, Conn. – and other tick-borne diseases, the Senate has been actively working to reverse this trend. This year alone, the task force successfully secured a record $400,000 in the state budget for research, education, and prevention efforts.