Lyme Disease Association Announces US House of Representatives Global Health Subcommittee Lyme Hearing

JACKSON, N.J., July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) announces that the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, & Human Rights, will hold a hearing 2PM, July 17, 2012, 2172 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC (Congressman Christopher Smith (NJ), hearing chair).

Global Challenges in Diagnosing and Managing Lyme Disease - Closing Knowledge Gaps will be webcast and available live via the Committee website http://www.hcfa.house.gov .

LDA President Pat Smith is presenting testimony on problems with doctors diagnosing and treating Lyme and with patients receiving treatment for Lyme.

According to Ms. Smith, "This event is long overdue for Lyme patients since they still have difficulty getting diagnosed and treated. Lyme disease numbers have continued to rise nationwide and throughout the world. CDC indicated Lyme, 7th highest in disease incidence, surpassed HIV in incidence in 2009. LDA developed a pie chart using CDC reported Lyme cases for 2010 showing that 9 Northeastern states had 66% of the case reports and the remainder of the country had 34% of reported Lyme cases [see www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org]. Experts are seeing a significant increase in ticks and tick-borne diseases in 2012."

Lyme is found in ~65 countries worldwide. From May-July, LDA had an electronic billboard in Times Square, presenting that Lyme disease is found throughout the body and all over the world.

Bills calling for a federal advisory committee on Lyme and tick-borne disease with representation from patients, voluntary Lyme organizations, and from doctors and scientists from a broad spectrum of viewpoints on Lyme have been introduced in Congress. (Rep. Christopher Smith, HR-2557; Senator Blumenthal, S-1381).

LDA encourages everyone to contact their federal, state, local officials, health departments and anyone interested in tick-borne diseases to attend or view the hearing. Officials suggest 45-minute early arrival due to security.

The following is a list of individuals who have been invited/agreed to testify before the committee.

• Stephen Barthold, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
• Raphael Stricker, M.D., Vice President, International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society
• Mark Eshoo, Ph.D., Director, New Technology Development, Abbott
• Patricia Smith, President, Lyme Disease Association (LDA)
• Evan White, Lyme Disease Patient
• Stella Huyshe-Shires, Chair, Lyme Disease Action

LYME DISEASE ASSOCIATION (LDA): An all-volunteer national nonprofit 501(c)(3) dedicated to Lyme disease education, prevention, raising monies for research, and patient support. It's been accepted into the 2012 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) as an approved charity for federal workplace giving, is a Guidestar.org exchange member, an Environmental Protection Agency PESP Partner, and offers LymeAid 4 Kids program for children without insurance coverage. LDA-funded research has been acknowledged in 25 peer review journals. Its 13th Lyme & Tick-Borne Diseases scientific conference jointly sponsored with Columbia University is in Philadelphia Sept. 2012. The faculty are national/international researchers in the field of tick-borne diseases, and attendees can receive Continued Medical Education credits. LDA is associated with 45 Lyme organizations nationwide, LDAnet, with LDA as the umbrella organization.

Lyme Disease Association, Inc. (LDA) 
www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org

PO Box 1438, Jackson, NJ 08527

Press Contact:

Pat Smith
[email protected]
888-366-6611

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SOURCE Lyme Disease Association