Lyme Disease Awareness Campaign

Reaches Congress

By Kendra Bobowick

Skipping like a stone is the widening demand for attention to Lyme disease.

“Gaining momentum — that’s a good way of putting it,” said Newtown resident and grass-roots Lyme Disease Task Force member Maggie Shaw, who supports a bill now before Congress.

New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith’s bill, Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2009, aims to “combat” the illness, as stated in a recent release. Local Congressman Chris Murphy will co-sponsor this bill.

Ms Shaw was among concerned residents appealing to town officials late last year to address Lyme locally, and most recently supported State Representative Chris Lyddy, who raised the issue with the state.

Now the conversation has expanded again. “From the town to the state to the [federal government] it’s reaching proportions that are amazing. First Hartford, now the congressional level; they’re addressing Lyme,” she noted.

Congressman Smith’s press release explains, “The measure would expand federal efforts concerning the prevention, education, treatment, and research related to Lyme …” Mr Smith also seeks to establish a Tick-Borne Disease Advisory Committee.

Ms Shaw is interested in the research. “This bill is about getting money for the main issues surrounding Lyme and research to end controversy that prohibits treatment.” At odds are opinions regarding the length of time antibiotic treatments are used, for one. Considering the Congressional bill, Ms Shaw said, “It’s not about treatment; it’s about the need for research and getting the answers we need.” With research, she is hopeful that “good, accurate tests for Lyme” will emerge. “With money maybe we can come up with answers.” She hopes the “science behind the bill” will give doctors the freedom to treat the disease.

Worried about ticks, Newtown Health District Director Donna Culbert is keeping an eye on the backyards in town. “The weather is warming up quickly, and people and pets are outdoors and are exposed to the risk of tick bites,” she said. “Please remember, the ticks are out there, many are infected, and they are hungry.”

The health district has collected six ticks this year that were sent to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station for testing. “We have also heard numerous residents tell us that they had ticks crawling on them, and their pets,” Ms Culbert said. “Those ticks are not collected for testing, as they did not attach or feed, but it’s just another indicator of how numerous and active the ticks are now.”

She next turns an eye toward past years’ testing.

While the health district waits for results from last November’s tick collection activity, Ms Culbert noted that counts from 2007 “were bad enough.”

The areas that were tested two years ago included the wooded areas around Newtown Middle School, Al’s Trail at the north end and at the southern end, and the testing indicated that the ticks were between 65–75 percent positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

“That was not good news,” she stressed. November 2008 tick collections were from the woods around Orchard Hill Nature Center, Head O’ Meadow School, and Walnut Tree Hill Road ball fields. The specimens will be tested for the bacteria that cause Lyme disease as well as the agent that causes babesiosis, another serious and emerging tick-borne disease.

The Health District will be sending a tick informational flyer home with the students next week. Ms Culbert warns, “Please be aware.”

Congressman Chris Murphy is also paying attention to Lyme disease. He has expressed his support for prevention, assured Kristen Bossi in his Washington office. He also has met with Ms Shaw’s task force in the past.

Mr Smith’s bill, HR 1179, authorizes a much-needed increase in total research and education of $100 million over five years. According to his press release, the bill also contains measures to ensure that resources are expanded effectively to provide the most benefit to people with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Mr Smith and several others are co-chairs of the House Lyme Disease Caucus.

Late last year Ms Shaw and other task force members sought the town’s help to actively address Lyme disease and related issues.