IL HR0032

Declares May 2025 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Illinois

Urges the federal government to allocate more funding toward finding a cure for Lyme disease, noting it receives less than 2% of West Nile virus research funding and less than 0.2% of HIV/AIDS research funding

Encourages the Illinois State Board of Education to implement health education programs to prevent tick bites for children, identified as the highest risk group for tick-borne diseases

Cites approximately 476,000 diagnosed cases of Lyme disease annually in the U.S., with only about 1 in 10 cases reported to the CDC

Notes infection rates have doubled since 1991 (from 3.74 to 7.95 cases per 100,000) and up to 60% of acute cases are misdiagnosed