Bill Text: NY K00557 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim October 9, 2019, as PANDAS/PANS Awareness Day in the State of New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-06-13 - adopted [K00557 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-K00557-Introduced.html

---

Assembly Resolution No. 557

BY: M. of A. Malliotakis

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        October   9,   2019,   as   PANDAS/PANS   (Pediatric
        Acute-onset  Neuropsychiatric  Disorders)  Awareness
        Day in the State of New York

  WHEREAS,  It  is  the  custom  of this Legislative Body to recognize
official days that are  set  aside  to  increase  awareness  of  serious
illnesses that affect the lives of citizens of New York State; and

  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
memorialize  Governor  Andrew  M.  Cuomo to proclaim October 9, 2019, as
PANDAS/PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Disorders) Awareness
Day in the State of New York; and

  WHEREAS, PANDAS,  Pediatric  Autoimmune  Neuropsychiatric  Disorders
Associated  with  Streptococcal  Infections,  is the sudden onset of OCD
often displayed as severe anxiety and emotional disturbances plus two or
more of the following symptoms: tics or other abnormal movements; severe
separation  anxiety,  generalized   anxiety;   irritability,   emotional
lability,   aggression,   personality   changes;   ADHD,   inability  to
concentrate; sensory sensitivities; deterioration in learning  abilities
and  school  performance;  developmental  and  age regression (including
deterioration in handwriting); sleep and nighttime difficulties;  and/or
urinary frequency or daytime/nighttime secondary enuresis; and

  WHEREAS,  The  onset  of  symptoms is corresponding to an infection,
usually strep; PANDAS children may have moderate to dramatic improvement
with  antibiotics  within  one  week  of  treatment,  however,   further
interventions may be needed; and

  WHEREAS,  How to stop the entire syndrome is still debated, but many
parents and doctors report prolonged  antibiotics  (two  months  to  one
year)    and/or   IVIG   (intravenous   immunoglobulin)   treatment   or
plasmaphoresis; and

  WHEREAS,   PITAND,    Pediatric    Infection-Triggered    Autoimmune
Neuropsychiatric   Disorders,   is   similar   to  PANDAS  in  terms  of
presentation; however,  it  consists  of  a  broader  list  of  possible
triggers,  not  only  strep;  triggers may include Mycoplasma Pneumonia,
Mono, Lyme, viruses, and more; and

  WHEREAS, PANS, Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndromes,  is
a new classification introduced in the 2012 research paper From Research
Subgroup to Clinical Syndrome: Modifying the PANDAS Criteria to Describe
PANS; and

  WHEREAS,  PANS  is broader than PANDAS and PITAND as it includes not
only  disorders  associated  with  a  preceding  infection,   but   also
acute-onset   non-infectious   triggers,   such   as  environmental  and
metabolic; no treatment plan for this syndrome has been defined at  this
time, but treatment plans similar to PANDAS should be attempted; and

  WHEREAS,  The three criteria for PANS are: abrupt, dramatic onset of
obsessive-compulsive  disorder  or  severely  restricted  food   intake;
concurrent   presence  of  additional  neuropsychiatric  symptoms,  with
similarly severe and acute onset; and symptoms are not better  explained
by a known neurological or medical disorder; and

  WHEREAS,  A  conservative  estimate of the prevalence of PANDAS/PANS
cases  in  the  United  States  alone  is  162,000;  however,  the  true
prevalence of PANDAS/PANS is not known; and

  WHEREAS, PANDAS/PANS is likely as common as illnesses like Pediatric
Cancer,  Pediatric  Diabetes,  and  ALS,  and  can  seriously affect the
healthy outcome of a child's life; and

  WHEREAS, Approximately 500,000 children are diagnosed  with  OCD  in
the  United  States;  and  roughly  148,000  children are diagnosed with
Tourette Syndrome in the United States; and

  WHEREAS,  Founded  in  2009,  PANDAS  Network.org  is  a  non-profit
organization that raises awareness of PANDAS onset and course of illness
by  providing:    an  ongoing  database  of new PANDAS cases (over 1,000
tracked thus far); parent referrals to support groups and physicians;  a
conduit  for new researchers to navigate collaborations and new treating
physicians to  find  information;  online  newsletters  to  parents  and
physicians  about  latest  research;  and  information that is medically
accurate and reviewed by our Scientific Advisory Board; and

  WHEREAS, It is imperative that there be greater public awareness  of
this serious health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at
the local, State and national levels; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim  October  9,  2019,  as
PANDAS/PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Disorders) Awareness
Day in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  copies  of  this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the  State  of
New York, and PANDAS Network.org.