Colorado Governor, Jared Polis, signed a proclamation of Lyme & Other Tick-Borne Disease/Conditions Awareness Month for May, 2023!

In addition, Chaffee County, the City of Salida, and the Town of Buena Vista, all at the heart of the Rocky Mountains, have made proclamations for the month of May. Consider asking your local community to do the same!

As the distribution and prevalence of ticks and tick-borne diseases continues to increase at a national level…so must awareness! Colorado is home to a growing number of people that have been infected by Lyme and/or other tick-borne diseases or affected by tick-bite related conditions. Coloradan are at risk for tick bites depending on where they live, work or recreate, as well as from travel throughout the United States and the world.

People, pets, livestock, and wildlife are also susceptible to many pathogens that can be acquired through the bite of a tick, and humans in close contact with animals may be at increased risk.

The sooner a tick-borne disease is diagnosed and properly treated, the better the outcome for the patient. COVID-19 infection may complicate symptoms, diagnosis, and access to care even more. Awareness of tick-borne diseases and associated conditions needs to increase faster than the spread of ticks and the  many pathogens that can cause disease through a single bite.

A growing number of patients are living with debilitating symptoms and chronic disease. For this reason, COTBDAA is partnering with many different businesses (Sawyer, Insect Shield, Ravel Health, IGeneX, Functional Recovery & Enhancement) and organizations in different Communities (Chaffee County Public Health, Partnership for Community Action, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film and others) to present multiple screenings of The Quiet Epidemic throughout Colorado beginning in May! Locations include Broomfield, Salida, Buena Vista, Telluride & Manitou Springs.

This documentary film presents co-directed by Winslow Crane-Murdoch & Lindsay Keys presents the real impact of Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne disease in the US. The film is a must see for everyone to understand the risks, challenges, and controversy surrounding this potentially life changing disease.

Please join us in elevating awareness throughout Colorado for the month of May! Visit our prevention page to learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones year-round. And visit our events page for details on each community screening for The Quiet Epidemic!

ELEVATE awareness this May and every day…and stay tick safe!

Read City of Salida Proclamation here

Read Town of Buena Vista Proclamation here

Read Chaffee County Proclamation here

Read State of Colorado Proclamation below…