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Chester County proclaims May Lyme disease awareness month after local case spike
Summary
The Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation supporting Lyme disease awareness month after county health staff and lymebasics.org reported a high number of cases in early 2025; speakers urged increased awareness and noted limited clinical capacity for treatment.
The Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation declaring May 2025 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month and heard from county health officials and Lyme advocacy staff about rising local case counts and gaps in clinical capacity.
Jean Franklin, director of the Chester County Health Department, told commissioners that ticks are active for more months of the year than often assumed and that urban and suburban settings also present risk. Franklin urged residents to check themselves, children and pets for ticks and to remove ticks promptly, describing Lyme as underreported.
Doug Fern, chair of lymebasics.org, thanked the commissioners for the annual proclamation and said the organization has collaborated with the county health department for about 20 years on education and patient support. Fern provided case figures cited to the board: he said Pennsylvania reported 16,331 cases in 2024 and that the actual number may be about 10 times higher; he also said Chester County had 206 reported cases as of April 30, 2025. Fern described limited availability of clinicians with specialized expertise and said many patients face difficulties obtaining treatment and insurance coverage.
The proclamation encourages residents to take personal precautions and supports the county health department and community organizations’ awareness and prevention efforts. No policy or funding action accompanied the proclamation at the meeting.
