Section 410 ILCS 450/5 - Findings The General Assembly finds and declares the following:
(1) Lyme disease, a bacterial disease transmitted by infected ticks, was first recognized in the United States in 1975 after a mysterious outbreak of arthritis near Old Lyme, Connecticut. Since then, reports of Lyme disease have increased dramatically, and the disease has become an important public health concern.(2) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the reported Lyme disease cases are numbered at 30,000 a year in the United States, but the actual burden of Lyme disease may actually be as high as 300,000 cases a year throughout the United States.(3) The signs and symptoms of Lyme disease can vary greatly from one person to another, and symptoms can also vary with the length of time a person has been infected. The initial symptoms of Lyme disease are similar to those of more common diseases, such as a flu-like illness without a cough or mononucleosis; it may or may not present Erythema Migrans, a "bulls eye" marking, which is the most common identifiable mark for Lyme disease, and many infected persons do not recall a tick bite; further symptoms can develop over time, including fever, severe headache, stiff neck, certain heart irregularities, temporary paralysis of facial muscles, pain with numbness or weakness in arms or legs, loss of concentration or memory problems, and, most commonly, Lyme arthritis.(4) Not all ticks carry the bacterium of Lyme disease, and a bite does not always result in the development of Lyme disease. However, since it is impossible to tell by sight which ticks are infected, it is important to avoid tick bites whenever possible and to perform regular tick checks when traversing in tick-infested areas of the United States, any wooded areas, or any areas with tall grass and weeds. A person should seek assistance for early identification and treatment when Lyme disease symptoms or other tick-borne illness is suspected.(5) Because Lyme disease is a complex illness, there is a continuous need to increase funding for Lyme disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. In 2015, the first major research program devoted to the causes and cures of Lyme disease was established at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine as the Lyme Disease Clinical Research Center.(6) Initial funding from federal grants has provided for research known as the Study of Lyme Disease Immunology and Clinical Events. The federal 21st Century Cures Act created a working group within the United States Department of Health and Human Services to improve outcomes of Lyme disease and to develop a plan for improving diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. However, there is still a need for more research on Lyme disease and efforts to promote awareness of its signs and symptoms, such as work with entomologists and veterinary epidemiologist whose current focus is on tick-borne infections and their distribution in the State of Illinois.(7) People treated with appropriate antibiotics in the early stages of Lyme disease usually recover rapidly and completely. The National Institutes of Health has funded several studies on the treatment of Lyme disease that show most people recover when treated with antibiotics taken by mouth within a few weeks. In a small percentage of cases, symptoms such as fatigue and muscle aches can last for more than 6 months. Physicians sometimes describe patients who have non-specific symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, and joint and muscle aches, after the treatment of Lyme disease as having post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome or post Lyme disease syndrome. The cause of post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome is not known.(8) Co-infections by other tick-borne illnesses may complicate and lengthen the course of treatment.Added by P.A. 100-1137,§ 5, eff. 1/1/2019.