R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Tick-borne illnesses, such as ehrlichiosis, Lyme 1-2 disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tick-borne relapsing 1-3 fever, are easily contracted and can be extremely debilitating and 1-4 fatal; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Anyone who ventures outdoors is susceptible to 1-6 encountering a tick and may contract one of these diseases; if 1-7 these illnesses are not diagnosed and treated properly soon after 1-8 they occur, the ramifications become potentially life-threatening 1-9 as time elapses; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Lyme disease, the most prevalent of the four 1-11 illnesses, is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the country 1-12 and the most common vector-borne disease in Texas, with cases 1-13 having been reported in every public health region in the state; 1-14 the Lone Star tick is the principal transmitter of Lyme disease in 1-15 Texas, though other known carriers are the black-legged deer tick, 1-16 brown dog tick, and cat flea; and 1-17 WHEREAS, The Senate Committee on Administration in its 1-18 Interim Report on the Prevalence of Tick-Borne Illnesses in Texas 1-19 to the 77th Texas Legislature recommended tick-borne illness 1-20 prevention and education and Lyme disease research and test 1-21 development; and 1-22 WHEREAS, Due to a limited public understanding of the serious 1-23 nature of these easily contracted diseases, there is considerable 1-24 underreporting of tick-borne illnesses in Texas; recognizing May as 2-1 Tick-Borne Illness Awareness Month will undoubtedly assist in the 2-2 further education of all Texans on this important public health 2-3 issue; now, therefore, be it 2-4 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas 2-5 Legislature hereby recognize May 2001 as Tick-Borne Illness 2-6 Awareness Month in the State of Texas and encourage all to learn 2-7 more about these diseases. Kuempel Krusee _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 892 was adopted by the House on May 9, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House