Lyme Disease cases are skyrocketing in the region.

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The Southern Tier Lyme Support Group planted 400 green flags on the Broome County Courthouse lawn in Binghamton for each Broome County resident affected by the tick-borne disease.

Officials say in the past five years, Lyme case in Broome have gone up 525 percent and 189 percent in Chenango County.

The cause of the increase in the disease, which affects the joints of its victims, is up for scientific debate.  Some people are pointing to climate change, saying warmer, damper conditions in the northeast lead to increased numbers of ticks and, therefore, more ticks carrying Lyme Disease.

While there was 69-thousand dollars allocated in New York State for Lyme Disease research last year, no money was included in the 2019 budget.

The Southern Tier Lyme Support Group and Binghamton University are hosting the 5th annual Lyme Disease Conference in Broome County at the Innovative Technology Complex on Murray Hill Road from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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