By: Hunter (Senate Sponsor - Hinojosa) H.C.R. No. 152
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 13, 2009;
  May 14, 2009, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Administration; May 22, 2009, reported favorably by the following
  vote:  Yeas 4, Nays 0; May 22, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 
         WHEREAS, Lyme disease, the most frequently diagnosed
  insect-borne disease in the country, was first confirmed in Texas
  in 1984; since then, countless state residents have suffered the
  effects of this painful disease, yet their efforts to seek
  appropriate medical care are often stymied; and
         WHEREAS, Transmitted by the bite of an infected tick or flea,
  Lyme disease is caused by a specialized type of bacteria called a
  spirochete; people of all ages are susceptible to the disease,
  which can cause skin, joint, heart, and nervous system problems and
  which, if not adequately treated, can continue for months or years;
  and
         WHEREAS, Most easily and effectively treated during its early
  stage, the disease is commonly overlooked because many people do
  not realize that they have been bitten; a bull's-eye rash is the
  only certain sign of Lyme disease, but not everyone who has been
  infected develops a rash, and other symptoms may not occur until as
  many as eight weeks after a bite; diagnosis is further complicated
  by the fact that the biological markers of the disease are not
  necessarily reliable and do not always appear in laboratory tests;
  the longer a person has the disease, the harder it is to eradicate;
  and
         WHEREAS, Although some studies have shown that most patients
  can be cured of Lyme disease with a few weeks of oral antibiotics,
  many patients continue to report symptoms long after an initial
  round of treatment; in those cases, the International Lyme and
  Associated Diseases Society recommends continuing antibiotic
  treatment "for several months after clinical and laboratory
  abnormalities have begun to resolve and symptoms have disappeared";
  however, because this method differs from the one promoted by the
  Infectious Disease Society of America and other organizations,
  health care professionals often face the loss of their medical
  licenses for pursuing it; and
         WHEREAS, The number of Texas physicians who attempt to treat
  chronic Lyme disease patients has shrunk, and
  patients--debilitated by such symptoms as fatigue, muscle and joint
  pain, headaches, nausea, anxiety, depression, and Bell's
  palsy--are forced to either travel out of state to gain access to
  care or forgo treatment altogether; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas
  hereby request the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house
  of representatives to provide for a joint interim legislative study
  on the availability of medical treatment for patients with Lyme
  disease in Texas.
 
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