Archive for the ‘Lyme’ Category

Investigation into U.S. Military Bioweapons-Origin of Tick-Borne Lyme Disease Successfully Added to 2026 National Defense Authorization Act

https://jonfleetwood.substack.com/p/investigation-into-us-military-bioweapons?

Investigation Into U.S. Military Bioweapons-Origin of Tick-Borne Lyme Disease Successfully Added to 2026 National Defense Authorization Act

U.S. Representative Chris Smith says we are now “one step closer to finally determining whether the U.S. government’s bioweapons program contributed to the proliferation of Lyme disease.”

Jon Fleetwood
Dec 12, 2025

U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) has successfully included his amendment to investigate whether the U.S. military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The ordeal underscores the national security threat posed by laboratory pathogen manipulation.

Rep. Smith, who is Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, had offered similar amendments—one in 2019 and the other in 2021—which passed the House, but failed in the Senate.

The successful addition of the amendment follows FDA Chief Dr. Marty Makary’s statements  during a November podcast, in which Makary expressed his belief that Lyme disease was created in U.S. military Lab 257 on Plum Island, New York.  (See link for article)

________________

**Comment**

Go here to hear Makary state it is highly likely Lyme came from Plum Island – just off the shore of Connecticut, where the first outbreak is recorded.

Smith states his amendments were inspired by Kris Newby’s book, “Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons.”  Here’s a clip of her stating she met a CIA black ops guy who stated that the strangest thing he’d ever done in 1962 which was coined, “Operation Mongoose,” was drop poison ticks on Cuban sugar cane workers.  She also explained how a military ‘bean counter’ stated, “We can kill 10,000 people at $1.33 per life,” regarding bioweaponized Tularemia, which is transmitted spread by ticks.

Here, this podcaster Mike Benz explains it was the very same Rocky Mountain Laboratories where Willy Burgdorfer experimented on infecting ticks with various pathogens that also more recently experimented on bats with COVID.

Category:

Activism, Lyme

FDA Chief Says Lyme Disease Came From U.S. Military Lab 257 & Suggests HIV Came From African Lab

https://jonfleetwood.substack.com/p/fda-chief-says-lyme-disease-came

FDA Chief Says Lyme Disease Came from U.S. Military Lab 257, Suggests HIV Came from African Lab (Video)

“It came from Lab 257 on Plum Island.”

Jon Fleetwood
Nov 27, 2025

In a stunning exchange on the PBD Podcast (Episode 690), U.S. Commissioner of Food and Drugs (FDA) Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon, dropped two bombshell admissions about pathogen origins—one about HIV, the other about Lyme disease.

Dr. Makary openly entertained the possibility that HIV “may very well have come from a lab in Africa,” saying the film Thank You, Dr. Fauci “explore[s] a non-traditional narrative, which has not gotten the attention it deserves.”

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is said to be a retrovirus that targets and destroys CD4 T cells in the immune system, weakening the body’s ability to fight infections and potentially leading to AIDS if untreated.

When asked where Lyme disease originated, Makary answered directly: “I can tell you with a high degree of probability. It came from Lab 257 on Plum Island.”

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, transmitted through bites from infected blacklegged ticks, often marked by an expanding “bull’s-eye” rash, fever, fatigue, and joint pain.

The head of the FDA has admitted that two major diseases originated not in nature, but in government laboratories, raising questions about other disease origins.  (See link for article)

________________

**Comment**

Here’s the brief 5 minute portion of the interview pertaining to HIV and Lyme.  Scroll to 2:44 hear the bit on Lyme disease.  Go here for entire interview.

For years, Lyme advocates have been gaslit for stating the exact same words Makary said.

In fact, after waiting an entire year for Representative Chris Smith‘s (R-NJ) proposed amendment passed by the House of Representatives directing the government’s ‘watchdog’ agency to investigate the DOD’s possible weaponization of ticks and other insects with Lyme disease, the inspector general at the Pentagon didn’t have the bandwidth to launch an investigation. (Translation – I don’t have any balls and I’m passing the football to someone else), so then it headed to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  Ultimately, the Senate rejected the amendment for the GAO to investigate whether Lyme came from a Pentagon research laboratory

And despite an investigation into five NJ school districts revealing devastating effects of Lyme disease on the children there, cries have fallen on deaf ears.  The CDC refused to publish the school study despite telling the advocate that they would.

So while Makary affirms what we all know, the following problems remain:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment

Public ILADS Webinar in December

https://mailchi.mp/ilads.org/upcoming-webinar-with-dr-tom-moorcroft-

ILADS WEBINAR

Wednesday, December 17, 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

At the Frontlines of Chronic Illness:
Conversations with ILADS Experts
Join us on Wednesday, December 17 at 7 PM ET for a public webinar, bringing together leading voices in the field of Lyme disease to answer your most pressing questions and provide clarity on some of the most misunderstood illnesses of our time.

This dynamic conversation will feature an expert panel of ILADS member clinicians and specialists: Eboni Cornish, MD, Chris Winfrey, MD, Melanie Stein, ND, Nicole Bell and Tania Dempsey, MD. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or simply curious about Lyme disease and other infection associated chronic conditions and their impact, this webinar is designed to empower you with knowledge, guidance, and hope.

This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from experts at the forefront of integrative and personalized Lyme care. This webinar is a part of supporting ILADS and ILADEF this holiday season. If you are able, please consider making a donation to ILADEF this holiday season. Your gift opens the door to knowledge that heals.
REGISTER NOW

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Uncategorized

PTSD-Like Symptoms After Medical Gaslighting in Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/ptsd-like-symptoms-lyme-disease/

PTSD-Like Symptoms After Medical Gaslighting in Lyme Disease

Posted By: Dr. Daniel Cameron

Recognizing PTSD-Like Symptoms in Lyme Disease

Many patients describe racing thoughts before appointments, fear of being dismissed, and physical reactions when discussing symptoms. These PTSD-like patterns arise not only from infection, but from the experience of being doubted, delayed, or disbelieved.

Patients report:

  1. Flashbacks of being dismissed or misdiagnosed

  2. Anxiety before medical visits

  3. Insomnia and startle reactions

  4. Emotional numbness or loss of trust

Bransfield (PubMed) has extensively documented the psychiatric manifestations of Lyme disease, including trauma-related anxiety, intrusive thoughts, depression, and emotional dysregulation.

“Medical dismissal can wound as deeply as disease itself.”

Why PTSD-Like Symptoms Develop in Lyme Disease

Medical gaslighting undermines safety — a key foundation of recovery.
When patients with Lyme disease are denied validation or treatment, the nervous system stays locked in survival mode.
The overlap between chronic infection and trauma responses can amplify fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and pain sensitivity.

Emerging research suggests that inflammation and prolonged immune stress can heighten the brain’s threat response — making it harder to return to a sense of safety.

For many, validation is not simply emotional comfort — it’s a biological reset that allows the nervous system to stand down from chronic defense.

The PTSD Framework (DSM-5 Criteria)

To understand why so many patients describe trauma-like reactions, it helps to look at how PTSD itself is defined.

The DSM-5 classifies Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a trauma- and stressor-related disorder with symptom clusters that last more than one month and cause significant distress or impairment.

1️⃣ Exposure to Trauma

Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, through:

  1. Direct experience

  2. Witnessing the event

  3. Learning it occurred to a close contact

  4. Repeated or extreme exposure to details (e.g., first responders)

2️⃣ Intrusion Symptoms (≥1)

  1. Recurrent, involuntary distressing memories

  2. Nightmares or flashbacks

  3. Intense distress at reminders of the trauma

3️⃣ Avoidance (≥1)

  1. Avoidance of thoughts, feelings, or conversations related to the trauma

  2. Avoidance of places, people, or activities that trigger memories

4️⃣ Negative Alterations in Cognition and Mood (≥2)

  1. Negative beliefs (“I’m broken,” “No one can be trusted”)

  2. Distorted blame of self or others

  3. Persistent fear, anger, guilt, or shame

  4. Diminished interest in activities

  5. Detachment or estrangement

  6. Inability to experience positive emotions

5️⃣ Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity (≥2)

  1. Irritability or angry outbursts

  2. Hypervigilance

  3. Exaggerated startle response

  4. Sleep disturbance or poor concentration

6️⃣ Duration and Impact

  1. Lasts more than one month

  2. Causes clinically significant distress or impairment

  3. Not due to substances or another medical condition

When the Trauma Isn’t a Single Event

Many Lyme patients don’t meet all DSM-5 criteria — particularly the “qualifying trauma” element — but develop PTSD-like symptoms through chronic exposure to helplessness, disbelief, or prolonged illness.
These experiences are often cumulative rather than catastrophic — a slow erosion of safety and trust that rewires both body and brain.

Chronic infection, inflammation, and repeated invalidation create a complex trauma environment, where the nervous system remains in defense mode long after the acute threat has passed.

Restoring Safety and Trust

If you’ve lived through disbelief or dismissal, you’re not alone.
Sharing your story can help others feel seen — and remind them that healing begins with being heard.
Recognizing PTSD-like symptoms in Lyme disease is an important step toward healing — both medically and emotionally.

References

For more:

Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, research

Study: 92% of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Had Evidence of Tick-Borne Exposure

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/child-and-adolescent-psychiatry/articles/10.3389/frcha.2025.1685016/full

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 05 November 2025

Sec. Developmental Psychopathology and Mental Health

Volume 4 – 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/frcha.2025.1685016

This article is part of the Research TopicSevere Mental Illnesses in Children: Unravelling Developmental Trajectories, Neuropsychiatric Impairments, and Chronic PainView all 3 articles

Investigating the frequency of tick-borne infections in a case series of 37 youth diagnosed with pediatric bipolar disorder

Rosalie Greenberg1,2*
  • 1Medical Arts Psychotherapy Associates, P.A., Summit, NJ, United States
  • 2Overlook Medical Center, Summit, NJ, United States

Introduction: This retrospective chart review examined 37 youth with pediatric bipolar disorder from a private practice in the Lyme-endemic state of New Jersey, expanding on findings from 27 previously reported cases to explore the potential contribution of tick-borne infections to disease etiology.

Methods: Diagnoses were based on DSM-IV-TR and DSM-V criteria using parent and child interviews, questionnaires, and school reports. Initial screening evaluated for possible PANDAS/PANS, with testing for Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus, Borrelia burgdorferi, Babesia, Bartonella, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Lyme disease testing included ELISA, Western Blot (IgM/IgG), and immunoblots, interpreted per CDC guidelines. Other pathogens were assessed via IgM/IgG titers, anti-streptolysin O, anti-DNAase B, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and blood cultures. A positive diagnosis required both laboratory evidence and clinician confirmation.

Results: Babesia was detected in 51% (19/37), Bartonella in 49% (18/37), Mycoplasma pneumoniae in 38% (14/37), Borrelia burgdorferi in 22% (8/37), and Group A Streptococcus in 19% (7/37).

Overall, 92% (34/37) had evidence of tick-borne exposure, with 81% (30/37) meeting both laboratory and clinical criteria.

Discussion: More than three-quarters of the cohort demonstrated confirmed tick-borne infections. Overlaps between bipolar disorder and tick-borne illness—such as immune dysregulation, chronic symptomatology, and responsiveness to treatments like minocycline and anti-inflammatory agents—support further exploration of infectious contributors to pediatric bipolar disorder. While limited by its single-practice retrospective design, these findings suggest that tick-borne pathogens may play a role in the pathogenesis of bipolar symptoms in youth, warranting larger, controlled studies.

For More:

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Lyme, Mycoplasma, PANS, Psychological Aspects, research