Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
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In Today's Episode:
In 1982, a scientist named Willy Burgdorfer discovered the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. They named it after him. What they didn't tell you is that he spent the previous 30 years weaponizing ticks for the United States military... and before he died, he sat in front of a camera and told someone the truth. Fort Detrick, Operation Paperclip, Nazi bioweapons scientists, 282,000 ticks released in Virginia, a secret island lab 10 miles from where Lyme disease first exploded, and a government that lied about all of it for 40 years. Congress just ordered an investigation.
The Team:
Producer ► Caleb & Jon (instagram.com/jonfrie)
Writer ► Caleb
Assembly Editor ► Squeaky (youtube.com/@ThatSqueaky)
Editor ► Phillip (instagram.com/phillipbootsma)
Thumbnailer ► Trey (instagram.com/treytrimble)
Subscribe to these!
• Side Channel ► youtube.com/@oompayt
• Candy Channel ► youtube.com/@sourboysgg
• TLS Channel ► youtube.com/@toolateshowlive
Follow these!
• Insta ► instagram.com/oompavilleig
• Twitter ► twitter.com/oompaville
Video Chapters:
00:00 They Named It After Him
01:02 The Tick Man
05:28 Operation Paperclip
07:24 What They Did With The Weapons
10:11 They Released 282,000 Ticks In Virginia
13:33 The Secret Island Lab
15:13 10 Miles Away
17:13 The Government's Position
19:34 The Spread Pattern
21:05 He Recognized What He Built
23:41 The Second Pathogen They Buried
25:29 Nobody Tests For It
27:02 He Said It On Camera
30:35 He Died 11 Months Later
31:22 Congress Finally Ordered An Investigation
32:21 The Counter Evidence
35:37 What We Actually Know
37:00 Final Thoughts
References:
Kris Newby (Bitten) - lymedisease.org/lyme-disease-bitten-bioweapons / GAO Plum Island Security Report - gao.gov/assets/a239785.html / DHS (Plum Island) - dhs.gov/science-and-technology/plum-island-animal-disease-center / NBC News (Plum Island Accidents) - nbcnews.com/health/health-news/govt-acknowledges-accidents-virus-lab-flna1c9460425 / Newsday (1993 Investigation) - counterpunch.org/2013/10/25/the-deadly-secrets-of-plum-island / Yale (Lyme Disease Discovery) - https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/bullseye-how-yale-researchers-identified-lyme-disease / CT Dept of Public Health (Lyme History) - portal.ct.gov/DPH/Epidemiology-and-Emerging-Infections/A-Brief-History-of-Lyme-Disease-in-Connecticut / PMC (Geographic Spread of Lyme) - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6336907 / Erich Traub - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Traub / CDC (Lyme Disease Case Maps) - cdc.gov/lyme/data-research/facts-stats/lyme-disease-case-map.html / Global Lyme Alliance (Polly Murray) - globallymealliance.org/blog/the-mothers-who-spoke-up-how-two-women-helped-uncover-lyme-disease
For any business inquiries reach out here brands@sour.gg
#oompaville
Join the Gump Club! gump.club Exclusive content, Discord, and more.
Try our candy! sour.gg Made in the USA with unique flavors every month.
Play Legend Of Zalk! apps.apple.com/us/app/legend-of-zalk/id6745826740
In Today's Episode:
In 1982, a scientist named Willy Burgdorfer discovered the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. They named it after him. What they didn't tell you is that he spent the previous 30 years weaponizing ticks for the United States military... and before he died, he sat in front of a camera and told someone the truth. Fort Detrick, Operation Paperclip, Nazi bioweapons scientists, 282,000 ticks released in Virginia, a secret island lab 10 miles from where Lyme disease first exploded, and a government that lied about all of it for 40 years. Congress just ordered an investigation.
The Team:
Producer ► Caleb & Jon (instagram.com/jonfrie)
Writer ► Caleb
Assembly Editor ► Squeaky (youtube.com/@ThatSqueaky)
Editor ► Phillip (instagram.com/phillipbootsma)
Thumbnailer ► Trey (instagram.com/treytrimble)
Subscribe to these!
• Side Channel ► youtube.com/@oompayt
• Candy Channel ► youtube.com/@sourboysgg
• TLS Channel ► youtube.com/@toolateshowlive
Follow these!
• Insta ► instagram.com/oompavilleig
• Twitter ► twitter.com/oompaville
Video Chapters:
00:00 They Named It After Him
01:02 The Tick Man
05:28 Operation Paperclip
07:24 What They Did With The Weapons
10:11 They Released 282,000 Ticks In Virginia
13:33 The Secret Island Lab
15:13 10 Miles Away
17:13 The Government's Position
19:34 The Spread Pattern
21:05 He Recognized What He Built
23:41 The Second Pathogen They Buried
25:29 Nobody Tests For It
27:02 He Said It On Camera
30:35 He Died 11 Months Later
31:22 Congress Finally Ordered An Investigation
32:21 The Counter Evidence
35:37 What We Actually Know
37:00 Final Thoughts
References:
Kris Newby (Bitten) - lymedisease.org/lyme-disease-bitten-bioweapons / GAO Plum Island Security Report - gao.gov/assets/a239785.html / DHS (Plum Island) - dhs.gov/science-and-technology/plum-island-animal-disease-center / NBC News (Plum Island Accidents) - nbcnews.com/health/health-news/govt-acknowledges-accidents-virus-lab-flna1c9460425 / Newsday (1993 Investigation) - counterpunch.org/2013/10/25/the-deadly-secrets-of-plum-island / Yale (Lyme Disease Discovery) - https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/bullseye-how-yale-researchers-identified-lyme-disease / CT Dept of Public Health (Lyme History) - portal.ct.gov/DPH/Epidemiology-and-Emerging-Infections/A-Brief-History-of-Lyme-Disease-in-Connecticut / PMC (Geographic Spread of Lyme) - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6336907 / Erich Traub - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Traub / CDC (Lyme Disease Case Maps) - cdc.gov/lyme/data-research/facts-stats/lyme-disease-case-map.html / Global Lyme Alliance (Polly Murray) - globallymealliance.org/blog/the-mothers-who-spoke-up-how-two-women-helped-uncover-lyme-disease
For any business inquiries reach out here brands@sour.gg
#oompaville
