Reps. Switalski, Constan, Dean, Haines, Haugh, Lahti, LeBlanc, Liss, Lori, Mayes, Ball, Booher, Durhal, Gonzales, Green, Robert Jones, Nathan, Neumann, Polidori and Valentine offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 176.

            A resolution to memorialize the Congress of the United States to increase funding for research into the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease.

            Whereas, Lyme disease is an illness caused by a spirochete bacterium, transmitted to people and animals primarily by tick bites. Prevalence of the disease is increasing in 43 states, including Michigan. The disease can be contracted anywhere due to the movement of people and pets across the state; and

            Whereas, Diagnosis of Lyme disease is difficult and complex. In the absence of diagnostic tests, patients and physicians must rely on the visible presence of a tick on the skin, bull's eye rash, or joint pain to make the diagnosis. Patients recall a tick bite or bull's eye rash in less than 50 percent of the cases and joint swelling is recalled in only 20 to 30 percent of cases. Lyme disease is often misdiagnosed as an autoimmune disease, such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, or Lou Gehrig's disease. Misdiagnosis in the early stages can lead to a chronic form of the disease that is more difficult to treat and potentially life altering. Even after receiving the proper course of antibiotic treatment, many patients may still experience post-Lyme syndrome caused by a hyperactive immune system that continues to wage war against healthy tissue even after the Lyme bacteria is eliminated; and

            Whereas, The 2008 surveillance case definition adopted by the United States Centers for Disease Control takes the next step in ensuring more accurate diagnosis of Lyme disease. Still, much more research needs to be done on the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the Congress of the United States to increase funding for research into the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.