Bitten : the secret history of Lyme disease and biological weapons / Kris Newby.
"This true story dives into the mystery surrounding one of the most controversial and misdiagnosed conditions of our time--Lyme disease--and of Willy Burgdorfer, the man who discovered the microbe behind it, revealing his secret role in developing bug-borne biological weapons, and raising terrifying questions about the genesis of the epidemic of tick-borne diseases affecting millions of Americans today. While on vacation on Martha's Vineyard, Kris Newby was bitten by an unseen tick. That one bite changed her life forever, pulling her into the abyss of a devastating illness that took ten doctors to diagnose and years to recover: Newby had become one of the 300,000 Americans who are afflicted with Lyme disease each year. As a science writer, she was driven to understand why this disease is so misunderstood, and its patients so mistreated. This quest led her to Willy Burgdorfer, the Lyme microbe's discoverer, who revealed that he had developed bug-borne bioweapons during the Cold War, and believed that the Lyme epidemic was started by a military experiment gone wrong. In a superb, meticulous work of narrative journalism, Bitten takes readers on a journey to investigate these claims, from biological weapons facilities to interviews with biosecurity experts and microbiologists doing cutting-edge research, all the while uncovering darker truths about Willy. It also leads her to uncomfortable questions about why Lyme can be so difficult to both diagnose and treat, and why the government is so reluctant to classify chronic Lyme as a disease. A gripping, infectious page-turner, Bitten will shed a terrifying new light on an epidemic that is exacting an incalculable toll on us, upending much of what we believe we know about it"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780062896278
- ISBN: 006289627X
- Physical Description: xi, 318 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2019]
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages [293]-298) and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Bitten -- The scientist -- The Cold War. Coin toss ; Bitterroot bride ; Big itch ; Fever ; Special operations ; Behind the curtain -- The Hunt. Out of the abyss ; Confession ; Missing files ; Last interview ; Rebellion ; Smoking gun ; Eight ball ; Speed chess ; Fear -- Outbreak. Fog of war ; Lone star ; Survival ; Castleman's case ; Red velvet mites ; Wildfire ; Swiss agent ; Collateral damage -- Postmortem. Discovery ; DNA detectives ; Change agent ; Sins of our fathers ; Surrender -- Epilogue -- Appendix I: ticks and human disease agents -- Appendix II: uncontrolled tick releases, 1966-1969. |
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Genre: | History. |
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Homer Public Library | 616.9246 NEW (Text) | 000157274 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
Bitten : The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons
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Table of Contents
Bitten : The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons
Section | Section Description | Page Number |
---|---|---|
Author's Note | p. xiii | |
Prologue | p. 1 | |
Chapter 1 | Bitten | p. 5 |
Chapter 2 | The Scientist | p. 11 |
The Cold War | ||
Chapter 3 | Coin Toss | p. 21 |
Chapter 4 | Bitterroot Bride | p. 31 |
Chapter 5 | Big Itch | p. 45 |
Chapter 6 | Fever | p. 59 |
Chapter 7 | Special Operations | p. 65 |
Chapter 8 | Behind the Curtain | p. 75 |
The Hunt | ||
Chapter 9 | Out of the Abyss | p. 83 |
Chapter 10 | Confession | p. 97 |
Chapter 11 | Missing Files | p. 105 |
Chapter 12 | Last Interview | p. 113 |
Chapter 13 | Rebellion | p. 119 |
Chapter 14 | Smoking Gun | p. 127 |
Chapter 15 | Eight Ball | p. 135 |
Chapter 16 | Speed Chess | p. 143 |
Chapter 17 | Fear | p. 149 |
Outbreak | ||
Chapter 18 | Fog of War | p. 157 |
Chapter 19 | Lone Star | p. 165 |
Chapter 20 | Survival | p. 171 |
Chapter 21 | Castleman's Case | p. 175 |
Chapter 22 | Red Velvet Mites | p. 181 |
Chapter 23 | Wildfire | p. 185 |
Chapter 24 | Swiss Agent | p. 195 |
Chapter 25 | Collateral Damage | p. 203 |
Postmortem | ||
Chapter 26 | Discovery | p. 215 |
Chapter 27 | DNA Detectives | p. 227 |
Chapter 28 | Change Agent | p. 235 |
Chapter 29 | Sins of Our Fathers | p. 239 |
Chapter 30 | Surrender | p. 243 |
Epilogue | p. 249 | |
Acknowledgments | p. 253 | |
Appendix I | Ticks and Human Disease Agents | p. 257 |
Appendix II | Uncontrolled Tick Releases, 1966-1989 | p. 259 |
Glossary | p. 261 | |
Notes | p. 271 | |
Selected Bibliography | p. 293 | |
Image Credits | p. 299 | |
Index | p. 303 |