In cooperation with the Center for Lyme Action, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer this week brought together local officials, physicians, and advocates in Haworth, New Jersey to address the growing threat of Lyme and other tick‑borne diseases across the state.

The discussion focused on rising case numbers, diagnostic challenges, and the need for stronger federal support for research, surveillance, and public awareness.

“There is nothing partisan about a tick bite. This isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue — it’s a Jersey families issue,” Gottheimer said. “Whether you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail, playing in your backyard, or just walking the dog around the block, you deserve to do that without worrying about a disease that can follow you for years.”

New Jersey remains one of the nation’s highest‑burden states for Lyme disease. The state has already reported more than 4,000 tick‑borne disease cases in 2026, including more than 3,500 Lyme cases, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Gaps in awareness and medical care

Participants at the roundtable highlighted several ongoing challenges: limited public awareness, difficulty obtaining an accurate diagnosis, high rates of false negatives, and gaps in physician education on Lyme and related infections such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and alpha‑gal syndrome.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer & Lyme advocates

Advocates also raised concerns about the long‑term physical, cognitive, and mental‑health impacts on children whose Lyme disease goes undiagnosed for too long.

Gottheimer outlined several priorities:

• Passing the Kay Hagan Tick Act, which recently passed the House and would establish a national strategy for Lyme disease for the next five years, including funding for research, surveillance, physician education, and public awareness.
• Securing federal funding for NIH, CDC, and Department of Defense tick‑borne disease programs, including $5 million for the LymeX Innovation Accelerator. He also voiced opposition to the administration’s proposal to reorganize and reduce funding for CDC’s dedicated Lyme Disease Program.
• Advancing new legislation, including the Tick Identification Pilot Program Act, the Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act, and the BITE Act, which aims to build the first fully integrated national vector‑borne disease prevention and alert system.

Local officials, clinicians, and advocates from across the region joined the discussion, including representatives from Atlantic Health, One Bergen Health, Central New York Lyme and Tickborne Disease Alliance, TiCK MiTT, and the National Society of Professional Surveyors.