HARRISBURG – With PA having the highest number of Lyme Disease cases in the nation, the state Senate approved a bill to help control the tick population, provide coverage for doctor-recommended Lyme Disease treatment, and spread education and awareness of tickborne diseases. Senate Bill 1188 also requires the Department of Health to work with the Tick Research Lab of PA at East Stroudsburg University to develop an electronic database for use by the lab, the department, and health care professionals. The database would include non-identifiable patient information, including tick testing information, results, and zip code and county location of ticks tested at the Lab; diagnostic testing information and results; and the surveillance criteria applied to determine the confirmed or suspected patient diagnosis from the attending health care professional. From 2000 to 2021, over 110,000 Lyme Disease cases have been confirmed in the Commonwealth, but since the CDC’s number only represents confirmed cases, the actual number of cases may be far higher.
