NW Illinois News

State Rep. Daniel Swanson (R-Woodhull) promoted Lyme disease awareness in a recent Facebook post.

"Lyme is frequently misdiagnosed," Swanson wrote, adding a link to a Facebook post published by the Illinois Lyme Association.

"Illinois Lyme Association is a non-profit organization that works hard to raise awareness of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases," the organization's Facebook description reads. "ILA will provide the public with information and education on protection, prevention, and the risk of tick bites."

In April, Swanson filed House Resolution 0216, which, according to the synopsis, "urges the federal government to allocate more funding toward finding a cure for Lyme disease. Declares May 2023 as Lyme Disease Awareness Month in the State of Illinois." The resolution was added to the Calendar of Resolutions on Wednesday.

"Swanson told the House Health Care Licenses Committee Wednesday that 35% of deer ticks tested in Illinois test positive for Lyme Disease," a WAND article published May 3 reads. "He also noted that 66% of the ticks in Winnebago County are carriers for the disease. The Illinois State Medical Society is now helping doctors know how to properly diagnose and care for people with Lyme."

"A ring-like red rash occurs in about 70 - 80 percent of [Lyme disease] cases and begins three days to 32 days after the bite of an infected tick," the Illinois Department of Public Health says. "The red rash at the bite site is circular and grows larger over a few days or a few weeks. In the center, the rash usually clears and has been described as resembling a bull's-eye. Generally, the rash is not painful. Often this rash is accompanied by one or more nonspecific symptoms: fatigue, chills and fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and joint and muscle pain. An allergic reaction to tick saliva can often occur at the site of the tick bite. Such allergic reactions, which are not a sign of Lyme disease, usually occur within 72 hours after the tick bite usually do not expand beyond 2 inches in diameter like the Lyme rash, and disappear within a few days."

A retired lieutenant colonel, Swanson was first sworn into the Illinois General Assembly  in 2017. He enlisted in the State Army National Guard in 1977, as a 63B Generator and Wheel Vehicle Mechanic. He works with the sixth-generation Swanson family farm alongside his father, Ron, his brother, Steve, his son, Matthew and his nephew, Josh.