Sen. Chuck Schumer unveiled a plan Monday designed to tackle ticks on Long Island year-round.

Schumer called on the federal government to act on the findings by the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.

Among Schumer's five priorities are to increase federal funding to the National Institutes of Health, expand physician education efforts, develop and research new treatments and more rapid tests and develop a vaccine for Lyme disease.

On Long Island last year there were more than 650 cases of Lyme disease reported, according to the state Department of Health.

In a statement, Schumer said, "As 2019 approaches, this new year should and could be the game-changer we've waited for to advance the tick war on Long Island, but we've got to act now." 

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is carried by deer ticks and transmitted by a bite. It starts as a rash before moving to the nervous system and joints. 

April Nill-Boitano is the president of Tick Wise Education. She says that better testing could make a big difference in the fight against tick-born diseases.

"If we had better testing that worked earlier, we could have much less people in my opinion that have lasting complications from this disease," says Nill-Boitano.