Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential a small group of state Senators led by Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon released a task force report Wed., June 18, on how to combat the growth in Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Lyme continues to pose a health hazard especially in eastern New York. Hannon noted that some 300,000 new cases of Lyme disease have been reported in the U.S. this year. Much of that activity was in the Northeast. The report calls for more research. There is also a proposed bill that would protect physicians who make Lyme disease diagnoses and prescribe long-term treatment, which can be controversial in medical circles. Sen. Kathleen Marchione was a member of the task force. Marchione represents Columbia County, which has some of the highest reported cases of Lyme disease not just in New York, but the United States. The full report is available at nysenate [dot] gov. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.