WASHINGTON – Bipartisan
legislation to increase tick-borne illness prevention and improve public
health efforts in states like New York with high rates of those diseases
has been introduced by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D, NY-18) and John Katko
(R, NY-24).
The Tick Identification Pilot Program Act of 2017 would educate the general
public on general tick-bite prevention methods, engage the public on tick-borne
illnesses to improve public health outcomes, and collect data on tick
populations as well as the frequency, seasonality, and geographic locations
of tick encounters and/or bites.
The legislation would establish a pilot grant program under the Centers
for Disease Control allowing states to allow individuals to send pictures
of ticks they encounter to a vector-borne biologist who would identify
the tick and respond to the individual with the species and life state
of the tick; an estimate of the risk that the tick is carrying a disease;
a recommendation of the best practices for the individual who encountered
the tick, including seeking medical evaluation and submitting the tick
for testing; and additional education on best methods to avoid ticks and
prevent contagion of tick-borne illnesses.
