By Terri McCormick

LymeTV is calling on the tick-borne illness community to help amplify a public service announcement for World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day on October 9.

The PSA aims to increase understanding of PANS and PANDAS, serious neuropsychiatric conditions that can affect children, by reaching parents, clinicians, policymakers and the public through television, radio and social media. LymeTV hopes members of the Lyme community will help extend the campaign’s reach by sharing the message widely.

Supporters can watch and share the PSA here:

The campaign carries a message particularly relevant to Lyme families: when a child develops new neurological or psychiatric symptoms, an underlying infection, including Lyme disease or another tick-borne infection, may warrant consideration.

Why this matters for Lyme families

Neurological and psychiatric symptoms can occur in Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections, and in some children those symptoms may initially appear behavioral or psychiatric in nature. These infections have also been considered among the potential triggers or contributing factors in children with PANS.¹

Recognizing this possible connection may prompt families and healthcare providers to look beyond the symptoms themselves and consider whether an underlying infection warrants further investigation. This is particularly important for families with young children. CDC surveillance data have consistently shown a peak in reported Lyme disease incidence among children ages 5 to 9.²

That connection between infection and neuropsychiatric symptoms is at the heart of LymeTV’s awareness campaign.

What are PANS and PANDAS?

PANS, or Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, is characterized by the sudden onset of significant neuropsychiatric symptoms in a child. Symptoms can include obsessive-compulsive behaviors, anxiety, panic, separation anxiety, extreme fear, restricted eating, changes in handwriting or school performance, motor tics, bedwetting and more.¹

PANDAS, or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, is a specific form of PANS associated with streptococcal infection.

PANS and PANDAS are part of a broader group of infection-associated neuroimmune conditions, or IANC. These conditions can cross traditional medical specialties, with symptoms involving infectious disease, immunology, neurology, psychiatry and rheumatology. That can make the connections among a child’s symptoms difficult to recognize, particularly when the symptoms initially appear psychiatric or behavioral.

For parents, an unexplained and significant change in a child’s behavior, personality or functioning may be a reason to consider whether an underlying infection warrants further investigation.

World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day

Observed each year on October 9, World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day seeks to increase understanding of these conditions among families, healthcare providers and the broader public.

By making the PSA available through television, radio and social media, LymeTV hopes to reach people who may not yet recognize the potential connection between infection, immune dysfunction and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

The People Behind LymeTV

For the people behind LymeTV, the campaign is personal.

Adina Bercowicz, MPH, founder and executive director of LymeTV, was bitten by a tick during pregnancy in 2013 and later diagnosed with Lyme encephalitis, Babesia and Anaplasma. Her son was also diagnosed with the same tick-borne infections.

Although she continues to live with significant health challenges and is largely bed-bound, Bercowicz remains actively involved in LymeTV’s advocacy and educational work.

“This is why we do this work,” she told LymeDisease.org.

Her husband and caregiver, Yan Zelener, PhD, serves as LymeTV’s Director of Science & Research. With a background in infectious disease epidemiology, he became deeply involved in the scientific literature on tick-borne diseases after Adina became ill.

Advisor Bruce Fries also brings personal experience to the organization’s mission. After spending years battling Lyme disease, Bartonella and Babesia, he eventually achieved remission.

“I’m very lucky that I’m in remission,” Fries told LymeDisease.org. “I feel like I should pay it back and make the world a better place.”

Grammy-winning composer Ron Taylor contributed the PSA’s original score.

Together, their experiences help explain the urgency behind LymeTV’s effort to bring this message to a wider audience.

Find a Lyme-Literate Provider

Families concerned about unexplained neuropsychiatric symptoms can visit the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) provider directory to search for a healthcare professional experienced in Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

How the Lyme Community Can Help

The campaign is underway now, and LymeTV is asking supporters to share the PSA through World PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day on October 9.

Supporters can:

• Watch and share the PSA at LymeTV.org/IANC-Project.
• Share it with friends, family members and across social media.
• Help educate parents and clinicians about potential warning signs.
• Contact legislators in support of PANS/PANDAS research funding.

LymeTV is a volunteer-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by public health strategist Adina Bercowicz, MPH. Its mission is to reduce tick-borne disease through prevention, education and outreach. Its work includes public service announcements, educational initiatives, community health outreach and advocacy for increased federal research funding.

Terri McCormick is a writer and advocate with LymeDisease.org. She is the author of Being Misdiagnosed: Stories That Reveal the Hidden Epidemic of Lyme Disease. The book is available on Amazon and at TerriMcCormick.com.

Endnotes

1. Myriah Hinchey, ND, “Lyme Disease, PANS/PANDAS, and the Immune System: Understanding the Connection and Path to Healing,” Medical Academy of Pediatric & Special Needs (MAPS), accessed October 1, 2026.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Lyme Disease Data and Surveillance,” CDC surveillance data showing highest reported incidence among children ages 5 to 9 years, accessed September 30, 2026.