RELEASE: Gottheimer Leads Resolution Designating May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) led a bipartisan resolution with Representatives Chris Smith (NJ-4), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Ryan Mackenzie (PA-7), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), designating May as National Lyme Disease Awareness Month, highlighting the growing threat of tick-borne illnesses to families across New Jersey and the nation.

“Everyone knows that the Garden State is home to some of the most beautiful trails and parks in the country, but we must stay alert to the real threat of ticks and the diseases they can carry, including Lyme disease,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “New Jersey has the third-highest rate of Lyme disease in the nation — five times higher than the national average. Awareness saves lives, and we must do more to keep Jersey Families safe from tick-borne illnesses. There is nothing partisan about a tick bite and Lyme disease. This is a Jersey Families issue.”

Gottheimer, a member of the Congressional Lyme Disease Caucus, has been a long-time champion of helping protect families from Lyme disease and vector-borne illnesses.

Additional Lyme disease legislation currently introduced in Congress, led by Representative Gottheimer, includes:

• The Battling Infections Transmitted by Ticks and Exposure (BITE) Act, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Tom Kean (NJ-7), will create the world’s first national response system for Lyme disease and other vector-borne illnesses, which include diseases spread by insects. This system will utilize new technologies, including AI, to monitor high-risk areas and alert nearby families through their phones when they are in a high tick area — so that they can be better prepared.
• The Tick Identification Pilot Program Act, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Tom Kean (NJ-7), will award federal grants through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for states to implement tick-identification programs. The program works by taking a photo of the tick, noting the location and date where it was encountered, and submitting it to a database to track encounters and to provide best practices.
• The Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Don Bacon (NE-2), will create a new postage stamp to supplement congressionally appropriated research resources for Lyme and tick-borne disease treatments at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It will boost investment in research and development for Lyme disease treatment.

Lyme disease is one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the United States. Across the country, an estimated 476,000 people may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year. New Jersey bears a disproportionate share of this burden, with some of the highest rates of infection in the nation. Between 2022 and 2024, there were more than 21,000 tick-borne cases reported in New Jersey alone. With fifty percent of Lyme disease cases occurring in the summer, awareness is critical. But the spring months, when ticks first become active, are when prevention education matters most.

Gottheimer’s resolution calls on Congress to formally recognize May as National Lyme Disease Awareness Month to spotlight the need for greater research, improved diagnostics, better public education, and stronger protections for American families.

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