National Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Control and Accountability Act of 2018

National Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Control and Accountability Act of 2018

This bill establishes the Office of Oversight and Coordination for Tick-Borne Diseases within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The office must oversee the creation of a national strategy to address Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and disorders. The national strategy must include program assessments, benchmarks for progress, and recommendations from the previously established Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.

The bill also requires HHS to undertake specific actions that promote research, prevention, and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and disorders. Among other things, HHS must:

• support expansive research into the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of such diseases and disorders;
• establish a surveillance system to track the prevalence of such diseases and disorders in humans;
• establish a surveillance system to track the prevalence of disease-carrying ticks;
• conduct educational campaigns; and
• hold a series of research symposiums.