By Jerry Carlino APP STAFF WRITER -
 
The fight against Lyme disease got a boost Tuesday with news that a key funding initiative cleared hurdles in the House of Representatives.

A total of $5 million for Lyme disease research was included in the Department of Defense spending bill that passed the House appropriations committee.

"The funding in the DOD bill will go a long way to find better treatments for the men and women in our military who have contracted Lyme," said Congressman Chris Smith (R-4), a strong supporter of the research. "Confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the military services have been diagnosed at more than 120 locations worldwide -- and the advances in research and treatments made on behalf of our men and women in uniform have substantive and beneficial applications for patients in the greater population."

This comes on the heels of the Energy and Commerce Committee's passage of the 21st Century Cures Act (HR 6), which includes provisions to boost research into Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.

New Jersey consistently ranks among the top five states in terms of diagnosed cases of Lyme, and is one of the epicenters of an ongoing controversy over the existence of a chronic or long-term form of the disease.

"The 21^st Century Cures Act . . . will establish a much-needed Interagency Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Working Group that will operate in a transparent and open manner and for the first time include a broad range of stakeholder input and public involvement, including those who suffer from chronic Lyme," Smith said.

Staff writer Jerry Carino: jcarino@gannettnj.com.