Why is it bug-related episodes that make us feel the itchiest? This week, Alex tackles the weird conspiracy theory involving ticks, Lyme disease, and the Plum Island Animal Centre. Did the centre really create Lyme disease infested ticks? What is Lyme disease? How many science related words can Alex mess up? Tune in to hear more. Need a distraction? I got you. 

Lyme disease support link: https://www.lymedisease.org/lyme-disease-support-groups/

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Resources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website -  Lyme disease - Last reviewed: January 19, 2022 - https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/index.html#:~:text=Lyme%20disease%20is%20caused%20by,skin%20rash%20called%20erythema%20migrans
• Web MD website - “What to Know About Erythema Migrans” - By WebMD Editorial Contributors - Medically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD - April 14, 2021 - https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/what-to-know-erythema-migrans#:~:text=Erythema%20migrans%20is%20a%20rash,be%20warm%20to%20the%20touch 
• Bay Area Lyme website - “HISTORY OF LYME DISEASE” - by Bay Area Lyme Foundation - https://www.bayarealyme.org/about-lyme/history-lyme-disease/#:~:text=In%201981%2C%20a%20scientist%20who,by%20ticks%2C%20was%20causing%20Lyme 
• Delaware Government website - “Lyme disease” - https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/epi/lyme.html#:~:text=Lyme%20disease%20gets%20its%20name,the%20attention%20of%20Yale%20researchers 
• Wikipedia - Tick - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick 
• Mayo Clinic website - “Tick Bites: First Aid” - By Mayo Clinic Staff - https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-tick-bites/basics/art-20056671 
• Science VS podcast - “Lyme Disease: How Scary Is It?” - Gimlet - June 2018 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Mb67OumbO9r0AVYyKQeQ1?si=S8WzE1GaQjm_Yshnv2UfaQ&nd=1 
• How Stuff Works website - “The Mystery, Myth and Reality of Plum Island” - by Patrick J Tiger - April 19th, 2021 - https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/biology-fields/mystery-myth-reality-plum-island.htm 
• United States Department of Homeland Security website - “Plum Island Animal Disease Centre” - https://www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/plum-island-animal-disease-center 
• New Paltz State University of New York website - “Lyme Disease on Plum Island: Fringe Conspiracy Theory or Government Cover-up?” - by Smaranda Dumitru - https://sites.newpaltz.edu/ticktalk/social-attitudes/story-by-smaranda-dumitru/ 
• Amazon - “Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Germ Laboratory Paperback – August 9, 2005 by Michael C Carroll” - https://www.amazon.com/Lab-257-Disturbing-Governments-Laboratory/dp/006078184X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398271219&sr=8-1&keywords=lab+257 
• Deer Busters website - “CAN TICKS SWIM?” - by Jenn Smith - July 29, 2019 - https://www.deerbusterscanada.ca/blogs/news/can-ticks-swim#:~:text=Ticks%20cannot%20swim.,showers%20if%20on%20an%20individual
• Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC) website - “Lyme disease” - https://ipac-canada.org/lyme-disease.php#:~:text=There%20are%20two%20types%20of,Ixodes%20pacificus)%20in%20British%20Columbia 
• Government of Canada website - Lyme disease: Monitoring - https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/lyme-disease/surveillance-lyme-disease.html 
• Tick Check website - Reports of Lyme Disease in Connecticut - https://www.tickcheck.com/stats/state/connecticut/lyme 
• Lyme disease Org website (Elizabeth’s Story) - "A teenager’s story: Born with Lyme disease, finally on road to recovery” - by Elizabeth Hancock - July 19th, 2017 - https://www.lymedisease.org/teenager-lyme-story/ 
• Tufts Now article - “Lyme Bacterium Predates the U.S. Lab That Conspiracy Theorists Say Unleashed Ticks on Public” - by Genevieve Rajewski - July 18th, 2019 - https://now.tufts.edu/2019/07/18/lyme-bacterium-predates-us-lab-conspiracy-theorists-say-unleashed-ticks-public 
• Defense One website - “Did the US Invent Lyme Disease in the 1960s? The House Aims to Find Out” - BY: KATIE BO WILLIAMS and PATRICK TUCKER - JULY 18, 2019 - https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2019/07/did-us-invent-lyme-disease-1960s-house-aims-find-out/158529/ 
• Washington Post article - “A GOP lawmaker thinks rise in Lyme disease is due to a secret tick experiment. A scientist squashes that idea” - By Morgan Krakow - July 17th, 2019 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/07/17/gop-lawmaker-thinks-rise-lyme-disease-is-due-secret-tick-experiment-scientist-squashes-that-idea/ 
• Washington Post article - “No, Lyme disease is not an escaped military bioweapon, despite what conspiracy theorists say” - By Sam Telford - August 11th, 2019 - https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/no-lyme-diease-is-not-an-escaped-military-bioweapon-despite-what-conspiracy-theorists-say/2019/08/09/5bbd85fa-afe4-11e9-8e77-03b30bc29f64_story.html