Ticked Off: Gottheimer Heads To Mahwah Woods To Warn Of High NJ Lyme Disease Rates

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — Just a walk in the woods — or sometimes a person's own a back yard — can expose them to a tick bite that could spread Lyme Disease.

Sufferers often don't realize they have the disease at first, and sometimes aren't diagnosed until long after the initial exposure.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer appeared in Mahwah on Wednesday to raise awareness of the risks of tick bites, and to announce legislation to protect residents and promote research into the disease.

In 2020, the incidence rate of Lyme in New Jersey was more than five times the U.S. average, and New Jersey had the fifth-highest Lyme disease case rates in the country, Gottheimer's office said.

50 percent of Lyme disease cases in New Jersey occur in June and July, according to Gottheimer's office.

"We need to make sure that Jersey families know how to watch out for ticks as they enjoy activities outdoors this summer," Gottheimer said this week. "Lyme disease affects New Jersey families more than most states."

The typical symptoms, according to the CDC, are fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash called
erythema migrans. "If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system," the CDC notes. "Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks."

Annually, there are around 476,000 cases of Lyme disease reported across the United States.

There is currently no cure for Lyme disease. Early treatment with antibiotics has been known to help.

In some people, symptoms are mild, but others have become unable to work by the time they were diagnosed.

Gottheimer said he will introduce two pieces of legislation:

• The bipartisan Tick Identification Pilot Program Act will award federal grants through the CDC for states to implement tick-identification programs. The program works by taking a picture of the tick, noting the location and date where it was encountered, and submitting it to a database to track encounters and best practices. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (NJ-7) is helping lead this bipartisan legislation. The bipartisan bill will allow people to electronically report tick incidents and receive feedback within 72 hours from experts as to the appropriate follow-up action.
• The bipartisan Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act will create a new postage stamp to supplement congressionally-appropriated research funding for Lyme and tick-borne disease treatments at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It will boost investment in R&D for Lyme disease treatment. Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2) is helping lead this bipartisan legislation.

Read more from the CDC about Lyme Disease here.

Find out more about Gottheimer's announcement here.