Members of the Western Connecticut Health Network met with Senator Richard Blumenthal this week to talk about their Lyme Disease Registry.  Language to strengthen Lyme prevention introduced by Senator Richard Blumenthal was incorporated into wide-ranging health bill signed into law last week.  The 21st Century Cures Act also includes language about Lyme Disease education and research.  

Network Principal investigator and researcher Dr Paul Fiedler says they have interviewed over 400 patients who have been diagnosed with Lyme Disease. 

Fiedler says in well documented cases, doctors are hoping to follow a marker over time to look at the clearance from patient's blood streams.

Fiedler says 10 to 20 percent of people who are treated, still feel sick for up to a year or longer after diagnosis.  In well documented cases, they're hoping to follow a marker over time to look at the clearance from patient's blood streams to see if that puts them at risk for these prolonged symptoms.