Senator Collins Secures Increased Lyme and Vector-Borne Disease Prevention and Research Funding

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and a member of the Health Committee, announced new funding for Lyme disease and vector-borne disease research, prevention, and  treatment efforts was included in the 2023 government funding law.   The agreement includes an increase of $13.5 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Lyme disease and vector-borne diseases programs, which support the programs authorized under the Kay Hagan Tick Act that Senator Collins authored in 2019 to promote a public health approach to combat rising cases of tick-borne diseases. The bill also includes nearly $240 million in additional funding to support the Institute at the National Institutes of Health that carries out Lyme and other tick-borne diseases research.

“Maine has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease cases nationwide. As the author of the Kay Hagan Tick Act, I am proud that the fiscal 2023 appropriations bill continues to prioritize robust funding for Lyme and other tick-borne disease research and prevention initiatives,” said Senator Collins.  “This funding will continue important investments in research to address this major public health issue. We must not lose momentum in research and prevention to combat the devastating diseases that can be caused by tick bites.”

The incidence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases has exploded over the past two decades.  In 2003, Lyme disease infected around 30,000 Americans.  The latest estimates show that nearly half a million Americans are diagnosed with Lyme annually.  Other tick-borne diseases are also on the rise – in Maine, for example, Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis have increased several-fold.

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