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State Representative John Ward
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4333
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
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REP. JOHN WARD STEPS UP TO FIGHT MINNESOTA’S HIDDEN EPIDEMIC
ST. PAUL, MN - In 2007 the incidence of Lyme disease in Minnesota shot up more than 37 percent in just one year. Figures for 2008 set to be released by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) this month are expected to show similar dramatic growth in the number of Lyme disease cases statewide.
Rep. John Ward (DFL - Brainerd) compelled fellow lawmakers at a joint committee hearing this morning in St. Paul to consider the damaging impact the spread of Lyme disease is having in the lives of Minnesotans.
“At one town hall meeting after another, I have friends and neighbors standing up telling me they have Lyme disease or they know someone who does," said Rep. Ward. “You might not hear about this disease every day, it may not always be in the news, but Minnesotans in every corner of the state are quietly suffering from this hidden epidemic.”
The Greater Brainerd area is ground-zero for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses in Minnesota. In fact, almost 12 percent of all Lyme disease cases in Minnesota were reported in Crow Wing County. Cass County also ranks among the highest for incidence of Lyme disease, representing 5 percent of all reported cases. That’s why Rep. Ward is assembling a coalition of fellow lawmakers to combat Lyme disease in Minnesota with further efforts for prevention and a bill allowing physicians to more aggressively treat Lyme disease patients.
“It’s been proven time and again that access to more aggressive, long-term treatment for Lyme disease can dramatically improve the condition of a patient and significantly enhance their quality of life,” Ward said. “But doctors today are not encouraged to provide that treatment; they’re even threatened with medical board sanctions if they do.”
Only three states have legislation protecting physicians who treat Lyme disease from medical board sanctions - Minnesota is not one of them. For that reason, many Minnesotans with Lyme disease are forced to travel to other states to receive the treatment they need to recover and lead a normal life.
That will change if a bill authored by Rep. Ward and Sen. John Marty (DFL - Roseville) becomes law. The bill, SF1631, would provide Minnesota physicians protection from medical board sanctions if they prescribe long-term treatment for diagnosed, chronic Lyme disease patients.
“You would never hear of a medical board sanction against a doctor who wanted to do everything possible to help a patient suffering from cancer, Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s disease,” Rep. Ward said. “There is no reason we should be tying the hands of doctors treating Lyme disease patients. There are too many people in my community and across the State of Minnesota with Lyme disease to simply fold our arms and turn them away. Every Minnesotan deserves a fighting chance at beating Lyme disease.”
Rep. Ward and the Minnesota Lyme Action Support Group (MLASG) strongly encourage Minnesotans to take proactive measures to protect themselves and their children from exposure to tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease. MLASG encourages Minnesotans to take the following precautionary measures:
• Avoid tick-infested areas - nymphal ticks live in leaf litter under oak trees. Sitting on logs or carrying firewood may increase your risk
• Use tick spray containing permethrin on your clothing and DEET on your skin
• Control ticks in your yard
• Check yourself for ticks often and for several days after you have been in a tick-infested area - the longer ticks are attached, the greater the risk of acquiring Lyme disease
For more information about tick-borne diseases and the incidence of Lyme disease in Minnesota visit www.lymedisease.org or www.mlasg.com.
News Items
- 2013 Legislative Session Preview - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 8:39AM)
- Assistant Majority Leader Rep. John Ward Sworn-In as Legislative Session Starts - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 2:39PM)
- Rep. John Ward Elected Assistant Majority Leader and Selected to Serve as Vice Chair of Capital Investment Committee - (Posted: 2012-12-19 00:00:00)
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