A federal panel would reassess the nation’s approach to Lyme disease under legislation co-sponsored by Rep. Chris Gibson and other legislators from areas with high rates of the tick-borne disease.
Under the bill, a federal Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee would bring together federal agencies, physicians and advocates “to ensure that a broad spectrum of scientific viewpoints is represented in public health policy decisions,” according to a press release issued today by Gibson’s office. Gibson is from Columbia County, which ranked first in Lyme disease incidence in the latest federal statistics. He also represents part of Dutchess County, which is ranked second.
The legislation is meant to address controversy that has stymied progress on Lyme, including how best to diagnose, treat and control the sometimes-debilitating illness.
“There has been great concern over the last several years that meritorious analyses and opinions regarding ‘chronic’ Lyme have been withheld from doctors, patients and insurers,” the release stated. The bill, it said, would require that information given to the public and physicians is “balanced.”
“Particularly in upstate New York, where the incidence of Lyme is among the highest in the country, it is imperative that we improve the ways we detect and care for individuals suffering from tick borne illnesses,” Gibson said in the statement.
The bill, which has been introduced before, is primarily sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, with co-sponsors including Rep. Colin Peterson, D-Minn. and Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va.
For articles, videos and photos in the Poughkeepsie Journal's No Small Thing investigative series on Lyme disease, go towww.poughkeepsiejournal.com/lyme
