?New Jersey’s high number of Lyme disease cases has prompted Congressman Chris Smith to pen legislation to help coordinate efforts to combat the disease and others carried by ticks.
New Jersey ranked fourth in the country in reported Lyme disease cases with 4,973 in 2009, the most recent year statistics are available, according to the nonprofit Lyme Disease Association.
In 2008, the state reported 3,214 cases.
A total of 407 of the 2009 cases were reported in Burlington County, ranking it fourth among New Jersey’s 21 counties, behind Hunterdon (444 cases), Sussex (434) and Monmouth (409).
Smith’s legislation would create a Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee, which would be charged with communicating and coordinating activities related to Lyme disease prevention, treatment, and research among federal agencies, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Agriculture.
The bill would require the committee to meet at least twice a year and submit an annual report on committee functions and Lyme disease activities.
Smith, who co-chairs the House Lyme Disease Caucus along with Virginia Congressman Frank Wold and Pennsylvania Congressman Tim Holden, said the growing number of cases demands a coordinated response.
“It seems like everywhere I go, someone comes up to me to talk about how Lyme disease has severely impacted their lives or someone they know,” said Smith, R-4th of Robbinsville. “Lyme is a very prevalent disease in the U.S. today. This legislation provides a comprehensive, nationwide effort to step up the fight against this disease.”
According to the CDC, Lyme disease is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, which are common to wooded and bushy areas with high grass.
Symptoms may include a bull’s-eye-like rash, fever, headache and fatigue. Most cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics if the disease is caught in time. If not diagnosed and treated in time, the disease can lead to chronic illness affecting every system in the body, including the central nervous system.
The CDC estimates that only about 10 percent of Lyme disease cases are reported and that children between the ages of 5 and 14 accounted for the highest number of cases between 1992 and 2006.
Steps to prevent the disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, and cutting grass and landscaping to reduce tick habitat.
In addition to Lyme, ticks are responsible for the spread of diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Pat Smith, president of the Lyme Disease Association, said the proposed advisory committee would help identify and prioritize efforts for fighting Lyme and other tick diseases.
“The committee is designed to ensure interagency coordination and communication that will advance a broad spectrum of viewpoints,” Smith said. “It will create a forum where government agency representatives and stakeholders will work together to identify priority issues.”
She said most major diseases have similar advisory committees already in place, and that the increasing numbers of diagnosed Lyme diseases cases warrants greater federal attention.
“The numbers continue on an upward trend,” Smith said. “More people are getting diagnosed, but there’s also evidence that there’s more disease.”
David Levinsky: 609-871-8154; email: dlevinsky@phillyBurbs.com;