Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring May 2025, as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Rockville, Maryland
end
Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council read and approve this proclamation.
Discussion
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks, and on the West Coast, black-legged ticks. These tiny arachnids are typically found in wooded and grassy areas. Although people may think of Lyme as an East Coast disease, it is found throughout the United States, as well as in more than sixty other countries.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) previously estimated that ~300,000 people get Lyme disease each year. Why is it now estimated to be 476,000? Both estimates are based in part on insurance claims data, however the 476,000 estimate uses more recent information covering the years 2010-2018. In addition, there are some differences in the detailed methods used to develop the two estimates. It’s important to emphasize that 476,000 is the estimated number of people treated for Lyme disease and likely includes some patients who were not actually infected.
While the CDC estimates that 476,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease in the US every year, diagnosing Lyme Disease can be difficult, and many people who have Lyme may be misdiagnosed with other conditions. Many experts believe the true number of cases is much higher.
Lyme disease affects people of all ages. The CDC notes that it is most common in children, older adults, and others such as firefighters and park rangers who spend time in outdoor activities and have higher exposure to ticks.
LymeDisease.org has developed a Lyme disease symptom checklist to help you document your exposure to Lyme disease and common symptoms for your healthcare provider. You will receive a report that you can print out and take with you to your next doctor’s appointment.
Mayor and Council History
This is the fifth year the Mayor and Council have recognized and proclaimed Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
Public Notification and Engagement
Additional efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services to address Lyme disease include:
• Presentations in the community.
• Distribution of literature on Lyme disease prevention.
• Counseling of individual patients on prevention.
• Surveillance on positive lab slips to identify true cases.
• Referrals to physicians for diagnosis and treatment.
• Education of community physicians on Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment.
• Montgomery County promotes personal protection from ticks and awareness of the symptoms of the illness as the best defense against Lyme disease. General information is available at: The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services
www.montgomerycountymd.gov/lymedisease <http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/lymedisease> or by calling 240-777-1755
• The Centers for Disease Control - www.cdc.gov
• The Lyme Disease Foundation - www.lyme.org <http://www.lyme.org>;
24-hour information line at 800-886-5963 The National Capital Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Association (703.821.8833) offers local support groups.
The American Lyme Disease Foundation, www.aldf.com <http://www.aldf.com> provides information on a product to help reduce the number of ticks in an area called the fourposter feeder.
Additional information from the CDC reports that Lyme disease was the most reported vector borne illness in the United States in 2012; it was the 7th most common Nationally Notifiable disease. However, this disease does not occur nationwide and is concentrated heavily in the northeast and upper Midwest. In 2015, 95% of confirmed Lyme disease cases were reported from 14 states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin.