LYME
LYME DISEASE IN THE COUNTRY-- A PROBLEM SERIOUS ENOUGH TO LEAD SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS TO4@
CONVENE A HEARING ABOUT IT IN
MAINE TODAY.
THE ANNUAL CASES OF THE
TICK-BORNE INFECTION HAVE NEARLY
DOUBLED
SINCE 2010. 4@
SO FAR THIS YEAR, THERE HAVE
BEEN 462 CASES OF LYME DISEASE4@
REPORTED THE MAINE CDC. 4@
TODAY'S HEARING AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE INVOLVED
MANY PEOPLE --
TALKING ABOUT ALL DIFFERENT
ANGLES OF THIS PROBLEM.
NEWS CENTER'S VIVIEN LEIGH WAS
THERE-- 4@
4@AND HAS AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT WT
WAS ACCOMPLISHED.
WAS ACCOMPLISHED.
DIAGNOSED
DIAGNOSED IN MORE THAN 400- THOUSAND PEOPLE EVERY YEAR -- SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS IS PUSHING
FOR A NATIONAL4@
STRATEGY
STRATEGY TO COMBAT THE RISE OF LYME AND OTHER TICK BORNE ILLNESSES.4@
SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS, R MAINE.
IT IS TIME FOR US TO UNITE IN
THE FIGHT AGAINST TICKS.4@
FIRST IDENTIFIED AS A PUBLIC
HEALTH ISSUE IN THE 1970'S --
THERE
IS NO VACCINE TO PREVENT THE
DISEASE. TOP RESEARCHERS ARE
STILL NO CLOSER TO STOPPING THE
4@
4@
4@ 4@
4@
4@ MARCH
4@ MARCH OF DEER TICKS THAT CARRY THE ILLNESS.
DR. LYLE PETERSON, CDC.
THERE ARE NO PROVEN COMMUNITY
PREVENTION4@
METHODS FOR THE MOST COMMON TICK
BORNE DISEASES. 4@
PETERSON LEADS THE CDC'S EFFORTS
TO RESEARCH,
PREVENT AND CONTROL VIRUSES AND
BACTERIA SPREAD BY TICKS.
PETERSON SAYS THE FEDS ARE
WORKING WITH THE NIH AND PRIVATE
LABS TO DEVELOP A NEW TEST TO
DIAGNOSE LYME. TWO STEP BLOODS
TEST CAN4@ BE LESS THAN FIFTY
PERCENT ACCURATE
BECAUSE THE BODY'S IMMUNE 4@
RESPONSE IS 4@NOT YET DETECTABL
PERCENT ACCURATE BECAUSE THE BODY'S IMMUNE 4@ RESPONSE IS 4@NOT YET DETECTABL@
COLLIN'S BILL KNOWN AS THE 'TICK
ACT' WOULD FUNNE4@L TENS OF 4@
MILLION OF FEDERAL FUNDS TO
STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS TO
COLLECT INFORMATION TO HELP
DOCTORS BETTER DIAGNOSE
AND TREAT PATIENTS. 4@
CHRIS PHILBROOK,
THE BLUE DYE SHOWED LYME HAD
ATTACKED THE NERVES IN MY
BRAIN.4@
4@CHRIS PHILBROOK CHOKED BACK H
EMOTION AS HE DESCRIBED HOW A
BITE FROM A TICK RESULTED IN
BELL'S PALSY, THAT CAUSED
PARTIAL 4@
PARALYSIS IN HIS FACE.
CHRIS PHILBROOK, LYME DISEASE
SURVIVOR. THE TICK ACT CREATES A
DATA BASE WHERE TREATMENT 4@
APPROACHES AND OUTCOMES COULD BE
SHARED IMMEDIATELY
WHERE IT MATTERS THE MOST, THE
DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
ON APRIL FIRST -- THE UNIVERSIT@
OF MAINE TICK LAB BEGAN TESTING
TICKS FROM THE PUBLIC -- SO FA4
MORE THAN 1800 HAVE BEEN SENT
IN, INCLUDING 11-HUNDRED BLACK
LEGGED OR DEER TICKS.
DR. JAMES DILL, UMAINE TICK LAB.
MORE THAN 42 PERCENT OF TH4@EM
CARRIED, PATHOGENS, 37
PERCENT ACTUALLY CAR4@RY LYME
DISEASE.4@
THE BILL WOULD ALLOW THE LAB TO
HIRE ADDITIONAL RESEARCHERS TO4@
TRACK TICKS AS THEY MOVE FURTHER
INTO WESTERN AND
NORTHERN MAINE AND THE DISEASES
THEY POTENTIALLY CARRY.
IN ORONO, VL NC MAINE.
CDC OFFICIALS THEY ARE4@
MONITORING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A VACCINE AGAINST LYME. 4@
A FRENCH BIOTECH COMPANY FAST
TRACKING THE VACCINE WHICH
COULD BE AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS
IN THE U-S IN ABOUT 5 4@
YEARS.
YEARS.
TYPICALLY, WHEN A UNITED STATES SENATE HEARING TAKES PLACE.. IT HAPPENS IN WASHINGTON, D-C. 4@
BUT TODAY... WASN'T SO TYPICAL..
THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING
HELD ONE RIGHT HERE --- AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE.
NEWS CENTER'S JACKIE MUNDRY
BREAKS DOWN HOW FIELD 4@
HEARINGS WORK.
HEARINGS WORK. THE UNITED STATES SENATE SPECIAL
COMMITTEE ON AGING IS HERE IN MAINE.4@
THE FIELD HEARING -- HELD AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
COORPORATIVE EXTENSION --
IT'S REALLY EXCITING THAT SHE
OPTED TO HAVE A FIELD HEARING,
HERE.
SHE IS SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS.
WHO IS THE CHAIR WOMAN OF THE 4@
SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON
AGING.
COLLINS BROUGHT THE HEARING
REGARDING THE TICK ACT TO 4@
ORONO.
AHEAD OF THE HEARING -- SENATOR
COLLINS
COLLINS TOURED THE TICK RESEARCH LAB.. WHICH HAS TESTED ABOUT EIGHTEEN HUNDRED TICKS4@
FOR TICK-BORNE DISEASES.
OF THOSE -- ABOUT FORTY TWO
PERCENT OF THOSE TICKS4@
CARRIED DISEASES -- INCLUDING
LYME.
I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE THE
HEARING HERE IN MA4@INE BECAUSE
LYME. I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE THE HEARING HERE IN MA4@INE BECAUSE@
OUR 4@HIGH RATE OF THE DISEASE T
ALSO TO SPOTLIGHT THE 4@
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE'S TICK LAB.
OUR 4@HIGH RATE OF THE DISEASE T ALSO TO SPOTLIGHT THE 4@ UNIVERSITY OF MAINE'S TICK LAB.@
OFFICIALS BELIEVE THURSDAY'S
HEARING WILL BRING MORE TICKS 4@
TO BE TESTED IN ORONO.
IT
IT MIGHT
IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE OVERWHELMING -- I'M NOT SURE4@ WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
4@
4@
4@ THE
4@ THE AGING COMMITTEE DOESN'T HOLD
MANY OF TH4@ESE FIELD HEARINGS -- BUT COLLINS
SAYS THIS TYPE OF HEARING IS
PRETTY
COMMON.
PRETTY COMMON. PARTICURARLY DURING
CONGRESSIONAL RECESSES WHEN
WE'RE NOT IN SESSION.
IN ORDER TO HOLD A FIELD HEARING
-- YOU MUST BE A CHAIRMAN OF A
COMMITTEE, OR HAVE PERMISION
FROM THAT PERSON. 4@
IN ORONO -- JACKIE MUNDRY --4@
NEWS
NEWS CENTER MAINE.
ANYONE
ANYONE INTERESTED IN ASKING A QUESTION TO ANYONE ON 4@
TODAY'S
TODAY'S PANEL, YOU HAVE UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY TO DO THAT. TOMORROW-- THERE WILL BE ANOTHER
FIELD HEARING.
THAT ONE WILL BE HOSTED BY
CONGRESSMAN JARED GOLDEN AT
U-4@MAINE MACHIAS.
A SMALL BUSINESS SUBCOMMITTEE
WITH HEAR TESTIMONY ON4@
CHANGES CONGRESS COULD MAKE TO
IMPROVE BROADBAND 4@
ACCESS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IN
RURAL MAINE.