Lyme Disease Research Faces Funding Crisis as Cases Surge

Research on Lyme disease is at risk due to significant delays in federal funding, despite Maryland having some of the highest case numbers in the United States. Lyme disease, the most prevalent vector-borne illness in the country, affects approximately 476,000 Americans annually, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Maryland Department of Health indicates that cases of Lyme disease in the state have nearly doubled since 2020, highlighting an urgent need for continued research and prevention efforts.

Funding Challenges for Critical Research

The Kay Hagan Tick Act has historically provided essential funding for Lyme disease research, allocating US$30 million each year from 2021 to 2025. This funding has supported critical initiatives, including the first clinical trial for a Lyme disease vaccine, currently taking place at the MaineHealth Institute for Research. Now, lawmakers are advocating for a reauthorization of the act, which would secure over $27 million annually through 2030. Named after the late North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan, who succumbed to a tick-borne illness in 2019, the act is co-sponsored in the House by Maryland’s Rep. Jamie Raskin. A full Senate vote on the reauthorization has yet to be scheduled.

In 2025, researchers, particularly those focused on tick-borne diseases, faced severe funding cuts. The Department of Defense eliminated its funding for Lyme disease research, which had previously amounted to $7 million in Fiscal Year 2024. Furthermore, a continuing resolution passed by Congress in March 2025 included a 57 percent cut to the funding for the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), which encompasses the Tick-Borne Disease Research Program (TBDRP). Johns Hopkins University has actively joined a federal lawsuit aimed at blocking these detrimental cuts.

Impact on Research and Patient Care

Nicole Baumgarth, director of the Lyme and Tick-borne Diseases Research and Education Institute at Johns Hopkins University, emphasized the importance of this research, stating, “It’s not an illness that can be taken lightly. These long ongoing symptoms can really change some person’s life.” Baumgarth and her colleagues have been applying for grant funding through CDMRP, but the lack of consideration for their applications has raised concerns about the future of their research.

Efforts to identify biomarkers that indicate whether a patient may develop Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, often referred to as “long Lyme,” are currently hindered by funding shortages. This syndrome can lead to prolonged, debilitating symptoms after initial treatment. Baumgarth also highlighted ongoing delays with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is typically the largest source of research funding for her lab. As of now, she awaits the outcome of grant applications that focus on the impact of Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, on gastrointestinal health and immune dysfunction.

The uncertainty surrounding funding has placed immense pressure on researchers. Baumgarth noted, “We hire people, we have to lay people off if the funding runs out.” While her lab has not yet had to make layoffs, she acknowledged that this situation could change quickly.

Despite these challenges, Johns Hopkins University remains a leading recipient of NIH funding, having secured approximately $1,022,300,000 in research funding in fiscal year 2024 alone. In February, the university also joined a federal lawsuit against the NIH regarding funding cuts affecting medical research.

As climate change continues to alter environments, the spread of Lyme disease is becoming increasingly concerning. Baumgarth pointed out, “Ticks like it warm, and they like it moist.” With warmer temperatures expanding the habitats of ticks that carry Lyme disease, states like Wisconsin now report some of the highest case numbers in the nation.

The research community and lawmakers alike recognize that without adequate funding, advancements in understanding and combating Lyme disease may stall, endangering public health and patient care across the country.