The secret history of Lyme disease the US government doesn't want you to know | Unreported

Nearly half a million Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year, and ER tick bite visits are hitting the highest levels since 2017. So why does it feel like nobody is sounding the alarm? And why is Congress now ordering a federal watchdog to dig through decades of classified Cold War military records searching for answers?

In this episode of "Unreported," Meagan Medick sits down with author Kris Newby, who wrote "Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons" and is a senior producer on the Oscar semi-finalist documentary "Under Our Skin." Together, they examine documented evidence that the U.S. government experimented on ticks as potential Cold War bioweapons, the whistleblower testimony of the scientist who discovered Lyme disease and why a mystery organism he identified in the original ticks was quietly removed from his discovery paper.

They also dig into the Lone Star tick experiments that may have seeded the Northeast with nonnative species, the rise of meat allergies and why a new Lyme vaccine is already raising red flags. Plus: what the Cold War records investigation in Congress could uncover and who controls what gets released.

#Lymedisease #ticks #biologicalweapon

CREDITS:

Host: Meagan Medick

Executive Producer: Andy Gipson, Meagan Medick

Segment Producer: Christine Jenkinson

Associate Producer: Will Tomasi

Editor: Anthony Diasio

NewsNation`s Unreported with Meagan Medick is built on the idea that some of the most important stories are the ones that don`t make the headlines. A seasoned network executive producer, Meagan brings a rare behind-the-scenes perspective to the front of the camera, taking the reins on stories she believes deserves more attention while asking questions other outlets often overlook or ridicule.

Through thoughtful conversations with creators, experts, and insiders, this show cuts through the noise to make complicated, viral, fringe or misunderstood topics actually make sense. Exploring stories ranging from government coverups to A.I. to paranormal phenomena, to explaining the origins of conspiracy theories and other enduring mysteries.

New episodes will premiere every Wednesday, offering bold perspectives on interesting stories that continue to spark widespread intrigue.

NewsNation is your source for fact-based, unbiased news for all Americans.

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CHAPTERS:

:00 Intro

2:48 Meet Kris

5:06 Kris' Lyme disease diagnosis

8:41 Neurological impacts

9:55 Congressional push to review Cold War era records

11:25 Weaponizing ticks

15:10 Kris’ experiences with Willy Burgdorfer

24:00 Engineering Lyme disease for a biological weapon

28:00 ‘Ground zero patients’

29:45 Lone Star tick radioactive experiments

34:40 What happened at the Rocky Mountain lab?

40:09 Tick boxes

43:36 Red meat allergies

48:07 Lyme disease vaccine

51:25 Profit motives around illnesses

58:38 Kris’ new book

1:02:00 Final thoughts