WASHINGTON, D.C. (WZMQ 19 News) — According to the CDC, in 2022, 62,551 cases of Lyme Disease were reported in the United States.
“We are seeing growing incidents of Lyme Disease in Michigan throughout the years,” said Emily Dinh, a Medical Entomologist at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Lyme Disease was first discovered in the northeast but has expanded across the country, including into Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
“Provisional 2023 data for Lyme Disease cases in Michigan are greater by about 600 cases compared to 2022,” said Dinh.
Now, some federal lawmakers are looking to ramp up research to understand the full impact of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses.
“Federal research and prevention efforts have historically been underfunded,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D- NY).
Gillibrand is one of several senators calling for $200 million in the Fiscal Year 2025 government funding bill to research tick-borne illnesses. It includes $9 million dollars to support the Department of Defense’s Tick-borne Disease Research Program, $30 million for the CDC, $30 million for the Department of Health and Human Services, and $130 million for research at the National Institutes of Health.
Senator Debbie Stabenow (D- MI) signed on to letters supporting the $30 million for the CDC and $30 million for the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Global Lyme Alliance estimates as many as 476,000 new cases of Lyme Disease in the US each year.
