Given a paragraph, generate a claim that is supported by the given paragraph. 1) The claim must contain information from within the paragraph. 2) A sentence within the paragraph can be used as a claim. 3) The claim should not have contradictions within the paragraph. 4) The claim should be at most one sentence long.

[EX Q]: Most cases are reported in the northern and eastern panhandles probably because of their proximity to the high-incidence states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Resources said. In an advisory Monday to health care providers, Health Commissioner Dr. Rahul Gupta wrote that the increase could be from increased reporting or from more ticks infected with the bacteria. Most cases appear between May and September, but ticks have become more active in winter months, he said. According to the department, 580 cases have been reported so far this year, up from 97 statewide in 2012. “Based on the change, West Virginia is considered a high incidence Lyme disease state,” Gupta wrote. Patients treated early with antibiotics usually recover quickly. He recommended a two-step blood test to confirm evidence of antibodies against the Lyme disease bacteria. Symptoms often include a circular rash around a tick bite and fever, headaches and fatigue, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. If left untreated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous system. The CDC says there were more than 36,000 probable cases in the U.S. last year, with 26,203 confirmed.
[EX A]: West Virginia reports increasing Lyme disease cases.

[EX Q]: Since the De Queen Medical Center Inc. closed, residents have had to travel at least 30 miles (50 kilometers) for medical care at hospitals in Howard and Little River counties or McCurtain County in Oklahoma. Dr. Steve Cole, the county’s Rural Development Authority chairman, said Thursday that building a hospital would ensure the community has access to health care, the Texarkana Gazette reported. “We want a hospital to be run by people who care,” said Cole. “We want to make sure people receive proper health care.” De Queen Mayor Jeff Brown said that he backs the proposed sale tax increase. It remains uncertain how much the sales tax would need to be hiked or when it would be put on the ballot, according to the county’s officials. An online sales tax handbook guide shows that the current sales tax rate in De Queen, Arkansas, is 9.625%, with Sevier County receiving slightly more than 2%. The De Queen Medical Center was recently put into receivership to prevent owners Jorge Perez and Ricardo Perez from spending or transferring the facility’s assets. Sevier County Circuit Judge Tom Cooper chose director of nursing Rachel Matheson as the medical center’s receiver. “DMCI is insolvent and unable to pay its debts as they become due. Employees of DMCI have either been laid off or have quit their employment because they have not been paid. Further, health care professionals essential to the operation of DMCI and to continued licensure of the hospital have discontinued providing medical services,” according to an order that Cooper signed last month. Cole said he admires the hospital’s 34 employees who worked without being compensated prior to the facility closing. “They were the 34 heroes. Few people would do what they did and not get paid,” said Cole. ___ Information from: Texarkana Gazette, http://www.texarkanagazette.com
[EX A]: Sevier County may consider sales tax hike to build hospital.

[EX Q]: According to news outlets, officials said Thursday that the bacteria were present in the Sheraton Atlanta’s cooling tower and in a decorative fountain in the atrium. The hotel has been closed for about a month since the first cases were confirmed. Health officials say the hotel passed an inspection Thursday and has been cleared to reopen. Hotel management conducted an extensive remediation of the water distribution system. Health officials have confirmed 13 cases of Legionnaires’ disease from the outbreak, including one death , and 66 probable cases. A lawsuit filed Monday accuses the hotel of negligence. Sheraton Atlanta General Manager Ken Peduzzi told the Associated Press that the hotel doesn’t comment on legal matters.
[EX A]:
Source confirmed in Legionnaires’ outbreak at Atlanta hotel.