Media cover U.S. Senate field hearing at tick lab

A number of media outlets reported that Sen. Susan Collins held a Senate field hearing Thursday at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab to promote a bill to boost federal funding to fight Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. The Portland Press Herald reported the TICK Act, sponsored by Collins and Sen. Angus King, would devote $100 million in federal funding through 2026 for data collection and analysis to support early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and to raise awareness. More than 1,800 ticks were delivered to the tick lab between April 1 and Sept. 4. Of the 1,150 ticks tested, 37 percent had Lyme disease. News Center Maine, WABI (Channel 5) and WVII (Channel 7) also reported on the field hearing.