26:2P-1. Findings, declarations

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which is spread by certain ticks, and is one of the fastest growing public health problems in New Jersey;

b. Studies of Lyme disease treatment have shown that costs associated with long-term treatment of infected persons have often exceeded $100,000 per case and have a significant negative social impact;

c. Lyme disease, which is the most common tick-borne disease in this country, is present in 48 states and five continents and is spreading, with New Jersey being one of the states in which the disease is most prevalent. New Jersey experienced the largest percentage increase in reported cases of Lyme disease of any state between 1993 and 1994;

d. Lyme disease was not widely recognized in the United States until 1975 and was first identified in New Jersey in Monmouth county in 1978;

e. Even though Lyme disease is receiving increased public attention among both the medical community and the general public, it is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed, which results in more serious health problems for the affected person;

f. If untreated, Lyme disease, in its later stages, can result in neurological disorders, including, but not limited to, chronic and severe fatigue, encephalitis, meningitis, memory loss, dementia and seizures; severe arthritis; cardiac dysfunction; vision loss, gastrointestinal disorders, paralysis, strokes and death;

g. Other tick-borne diseases known or suspected to occur in New Jersey include Rocky Mountain spotted fever, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis and human babesiosis; and

h. County mosquito control agencies throughout the State are currently staffed and equipped to control nuisance and vector species of mosquitoes. These commissions or agencies provide a central operational unit within each county with the capability to advise and assist the Department of Health and Senior Services in the development and implementation of an integrated approach to manage tick-borne disease vectors.

L.1991,c.277,s.1; amended 1997, c.52, s.1.