CA SCR80

Proclaims May 2010 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in California

Identifies Lyme disease as a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete, transmitted primarily through infected tick bites and present in all 50 U.S. states and over 50 countries

Notes that the CDC reports approximately 22,000 new Lyme disease cases annually in the U.S., with estimates suggesting over 220,000 actual cases when accounting for unreported cases, and that up to 40 percent result in long-term health problems

Highlights that California has the highest concentration of distinct Lyme disease-causing bacteria species in the United States, with infection rates in some regions as high as 42 percent of nymphal ticks

States that untreated Lyme disease can cause serious complications including neurological impairment, joint and muscle pain, and disability, while ticks can simultaneously transmit coinfections such as babesiosis and anaplasmosis