PROCLAMATION: MAY AS LYME DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH

DUTCHESS COUNTY LEGISLATURE Proclamation: May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month Resolution No. 2025074 The Dutchess County Legislature offers the following and moves its adoption: WHEREAS, May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and with the continued reported cases in New York, it is important to inform the residents of Dutchess County on how to protect themselves and their families from contracting this disease, and WHEREAS, the incidence of Lyme Disease is greatest in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north central regions of the United States, and WHEREAS, Lyme Disease was named in 1977 when arthritis was observed in a cluster of children in and around Lyme, Connecticut. The Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist (CSTE) designated Lyme Disease as a nationally notifiable disease in January 1991, and WHEREAS, Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. It is caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi where the spirochete is transmitted to the human blood stream by the bite of various species of ticks, and WHEREAS, detection of this is difficult to diagnose because it imitates other conditions and there currently is not a reliable test to determine the infection. Lyme Disease can cause early symptoms such as rash and flu-like symptoms, fever, muscle aches, headaches, and fatigue to mention a few. Often the symptoms will disappear only to later reappear in a more serious and difficult to treat disseminated form, and WHEREAS, the best defense is to wear light colored, long clothing when outdoors, tuck socks into closed toed shoes, stay clear of woody areas, consider using insect repellent, shower when getting inside, and to check oneself carefully for ticks. Proper tick removal is imperative, and if done correctly and promptly, can aid in the prevention of the disease, and WHEREAS, public awareness of this serious disease is necessary for prevention and treatment, now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Dutchess County Legislature does hereby proclaim May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Dutchess County and urges all citizens to take suitable precautions to avoid the risk of contracting Lyme Disease and to be aware of the symptoms so that appropriate treatment can be obtained. STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF DUTCHESS This is to certify that I, the undersigned Clerk of the Legislature of the County of Dutchess, have compared the forgoing resolution with the original resolution now on file in the office of said clerk, and which was adopted by said Legislature on the 12' day of May 2025, and that the same is a truc and correct transcript of said orginal resolution and of the whole thereof. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hercunto set my hand and seal of said Legislature this 12th day of May 2025. Sighlaze