Lawmakers Demand Funding To Fight Tick-Borne Diseases On LI

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Lawmakers have teamed up to demand federal funding be made available to fight tick-borne diseases on Long Island.

New York State has been hit hard, with a spike in tick borne diseases: There have been more tick-borne illnesses in New York since 2004 than in almost any other state in the U.S. – and the numbers are rising, according to figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Illnesses spread by the insects doubled across the country between 2004 and 2016. When diseases spread by mosquitoes and fleas were also factored in, numbers tripled.

In New York state, 69,313 diseases that came from ticks were reported in the 12 years. Only Pennsylvania had more, with 73,610, the report said. Mosquito-related diseases were reported 7,167 times in New York.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer said this week that "the recently passed bipartisan budget deal that President Trump signed includes $900 million more in CDC dollars that Long Island deserves to help fight vector-borne diseases."

Schumer said he believes the CDC can do more to support the war against tick-borne diseases with that $900 million.

"However, without urgent action those same dollars could be held up as Long Island’s tick population explodes during the spring and summer seasons. This money will allow public health officials across the Island to start to research, prevent, and treat tick-borne diseases before the height of the season," he said.

He said he'd like to see a portion of that funding allocated immediately to address tick-borne illnesses including Lyme, babesea, anaplasma and others that have "plagued" Long Island, targeted to help the New York State Health Department and local health departments with prevention and tracking efforts.

“When it comes to our exploding tick-borne disease problem, Long Island has been feeling the brunt of the brutal bite for years and would greatly benefit from an increase in federal funding necessary to head this tick season off at the pass,” Schumer said.

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming agreed, pointing out that Stony Brook Southampton Hospital has a dedicated hot line that received more than 900 phone calls last year in regard to tick-borne illnesses.

The recent CDC report indicates that the number of tick-borne illnesses has more than doubled in less than a decade, she added.

"We know that ticks are on the move," she said, pointing out that Lone star ticks have migrated from the south and continue to spread.

In addition, Fleming said, another species of tick, the Longhorn tick, which was found in Union County, NJ.

The CDC report, she said, also identifies five key competencies that local health departments and vector control organizations must implement to properly control diseases from ticks, including monitoring and tracking mosquitoes and ticks locally; using data to drive local decisions about vector control; having an action plan to kill mosquitoes and ticks at every life stage; controlling vectors using multiple types of methods; and conducting pesticide-resistance testing.

Suffolk County Vector Control has developed the key competencies, while the CDC report indicated that only one in five vector control organizations is properly prepared to prevent and control the outbreak of tick-borne illnesses, Fleming said.

"An increase in funding for Suffolk County Vector Control will allow for implementation of a carefully-structured plan to effectively manage the tick population and increase prevention, treatment, tracking, and education regarding tick-borne illnesses," she said.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone agreed funding is critical. “Tick-borne disease has become a national public health crisis that demands an aggressive and comprehensive response from our federal government," he said. "While Suffolk County is leading the way with innovative research and preventative measures, we need Washington to step up to the plate to ensure we have the resources needed to get the job done."

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection carried by deer ticks, which can be transmitted by a bite to a human or animal host. Untreated, the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi travels through the bloodstream, manifests in body tissues, and causes mild or severe symptoms, a release said.

The CDC did not immediately return a request for comment.

Patch file photo.