The Alabama House of Representatives recently created the Alabama Study Commission on Tick Borne Illnesses.

The members of the committee will study the treatment and eradication of Lyme Disease and other tick borne diseases during the summer and fall and will share their conclusions with the Speaker of the House in January. The committee was formed through a resolution sponsored by Rep. Becky Nordgren. Nordgren will serve on the committee with Rep. Randy Davis; Alabama Lyme Disease Association President Kevin Wolfe; and representatives from Hudson Alpha Institute of Biotechnology, Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine and the Medical Association of Alabama.

Although Lyme Disease cases are regularly reported in Alabama, many patients are forced to go out of state to find doctors who specialize in the disease. The Alabama Lyme Disease Association was  formed in 2012 to promote better diagnoses and treatment of the illness. Wolfe, a victim of Lyme Disease, said that the House’s committee is a positive step.

“It’s critical that physicians understand that we have Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses in Alabama, that it needs to be treated and they know what treatments are available,” Wolfe said. “This commission is an important and vital step toward improving care for patients in Alabama.”