NW Illinois News

In a recent Facebook post, Illinois state Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha) shared his excitement for the 2023 Illinois Lyme Association Golf Outing.

“I had a great time playing in 2022 and look forward to playing in 2023,” he said in the post.

The post also shared a link to the Illinois Lyme Association's announcement of their 2023 Golf Outing to be held at Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.

"SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 2023," the association’s post said. "We had such a successful 2022 fundraising event, we are heading back to Deere Run in Silvis, IL for the 2023 Golf Outing! Save the date on your calendar to be a part of giving back to ILA!"

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported that Lyme disease is a bacterial disease from infected ticks, first found in the United States in 1975.

The IDPH also noted that there were 540 tickborne cases of Lyme disease reported in Illinois in 2021, significantly more than the 194 cases reported in 2011.

“About 34% or 1/3 of ticks in the State of Illinois are infected with Lyme disease, with deer ticks being detected in 36 counties,” Swanson said in a recent Lymedisease.org report. “Lyme disease unfortunately can come with long-term health effects due to the lack of quick and effective treatment. I’m working to educate health care professionals, students, and the general public as to the true danger of tick-borne diseases.”

A Mayo Clinic report stated that symptoms of Lyme disease may appear anywhere from three to 30 days after a tick bite. There are three stages of Lyme symptoms. In the first stage, a rash develops that spreads in a circle around the tick bite, and it could include fever, extreme tiredness and swollen lymph nodes. The second stage could bring swelling in the eyelids and tissues of the eye, muscle weakness on one or both sides of the face, immune-system activity in the heart tissue that could cause irregular heartbeats, and pain that begins in the back and hips and spreads to the legs. The third stage, called late disseminated disease, features symptoms from earlier stages along with other symptoms.

Antibiotics are often used to treat Lyme disease, either in pill or intravenous forms, the clinic said.

Swanson was sworn in to the Illinois General Assembly on January 2017, his website biography said. He is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Illinois National Guard. When not in Springfield representing his constituents, Swanson works on the family farm with his father, brother, son and nephew.

Ballotpedia reported that Swanson defeated candidate Christopher Demink in the November general election.