IL HR0614

Declares May 2026 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Illinois

Urges the federal government to allocate more funding toward finding a cure for Lyme disease, which currently 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 on tick bite prevention for children, who represent the highest risk group for tick-borne diseases

Cites that approximately 476,000 Lyme disease cases occur annually in the U.S., with only 35,000-45,000 reported to the CDC, and infection rates have doubled from 3.74 to 7.95 cases per 100,000 since 1991

Notes that up to 60% of acute Lyme disease cases are misdiagnosed due to diagnostic tests that may not detect antibodies until weeks after infection