On June 16, 9TH District Congressman Bill Keating authored a bill, the Tick-Borne Disease Prevention Act, to combat the spread of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. On Tuesday, Keating told WXTK News the reason he filed the legislation was because a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates as many as 300,000 people in the U.S. suffer from Lyme disease, a far cry from the reported 30,000 cases.
Keating says the Tick-Borne Disease Prevention Act would direct the CDC to publish two sets of materials specific to Lyme disease and tick-borne illnesses. The first would update prevention and treatment procedures for both providers and the public. The second includes training materials for healthcare providers.