IL HR0018

Urges the federal government to allocate increased funding toward research for curing Lyme disease, cited as a growing public health crisis.

Designates May 2021 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Illinois.

Notes that 35,000 to 45,000 Lyme disease cases are officially reported annually in the United States, with estimates suggesting the actual number is closer to 450,000 cases per year.

Identifies that Lyme disease infection rates have doubled since 1991 (from 3.74 to 7.95 cases per 100,000), making it one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the United States.

Highlights that public funding for Lyme disease research receives less than 2 percent of West Nile virus funding and less than 0.2 percent of HIV/AIDS research funding, despite significantly higher case counts.