The US Congress has launched an investigation into whether the military weaponized ticks during the Cold War, following a newly filed amendment. The provision, introduced by New Jersey Representative Chris Smith, directs the Government Accountability Office to review federal projects between 1945 and 1972 involving bacteria linked to tick-borne illnesses.
Smith, who co-chairs the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, cited New Jersey's high infection rates and concerns for personnel at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. 'The hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease deserve to know the truth about the origins of their illness,' he said.
The theory, promoted by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, suggests Lyme disease may have originated from a failed US bioweapons programme at Plum Island, New York. However, scientists have repeatedly dismissed these claims, noting that Lyme-causing bacteria existed in North America long before the 20th century.
Much of the speculation stems from the 2019 book 'Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons' and interviews with the late scientist Willy Burgdorfer, who identified the Lyme pathogen and worked as a bioweapons specialist. The book alleges experiments involving ticks injected with pathogens and discussions about dispersing 'weaponized' ticks from aircraft.
Smith said the investigation could either substantiate or debunk the conspiracy theories. 'If the investigation finds that our bioweapons program had nothing to do with it, we turn the page. But the American people deserve answers,' he stated.
