PLUM ISLAND: Biological Warfare, Ticks, Lymes Disease and the Nazi Scientist

In today's episode we cover the strange animal research laboratory on Plum Island and its possible role in the creation of Lyme Disease. We discuss the initial outbreak of Lyme in the closest mainland town from Plum Island which is Old Lyme, Connecticut. We also discuss Nazi Biological Warfare Scientist Erich Traub who was brought over to America under Operation Paperclip. Both Traub's Nazi past and his work for the US Biological Weapons program underneath Fort Detrick are discussed. We briefly touch on the naysayers of the bioweapon leak theory and discuss some of the problems of believing that Lyme comes from changing ecological factors. Stay tuned next episode where we will dive even deeper and discuss the discoverer of Lyme Willy Burgdorfer and a bioweapon attack using ticks carried out by none other than Edward Lansdale who we have previously discussed on our imperial Japan series

Sources:

Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Germ Laboratory - Michael Christopher Carrol

Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons - Kris Newby

Lyme disease: a neuropsychiatric illness - PubMed (nih.gov)

Did Lawmakers Demand the Pentagon Disclose If It Developed Weaponized Ticks? | Snopes.com (I guess I'll put this here but ew)