THIS IS A LENGTHY AND DETAILED ARTICLE ABOUT TICKS & LYME DISEASE 

INCLUDING THE HISTORY AND DISCOVERY OF THE ARTHRITIS CAUSE IN 

LYME, CONNECTICUT!

THIS IS WHY PBS AND NPR ARE IMPORTANT!

Is it safe for Americans to go into the woods today?

• Paige Sutherland
• Meghna Chakrabarti
• Tim Skoog

June 11, 2026

In this photo made Friday, May 9, 2014, an informational card about ticks distributed by the Maine Medical Center Research Institute is seen in the woods in Freeport, Maine. State officials say ticks are back with a vengeance, meaning tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease will see no wain. No wane is expected in Lyme nationwide, either, in part because of climate change. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Health Secretary RFK Jr. doesn't think so. That's why the Trump Administration is investing millions of federal dollars to reduce Lyme disease by 25 percent by 2035. But how?

Guests

Thomas Mather, professor and researcher at the University of Rhode Island. He serves as director of URI’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease and its TickEncounter Resource Center.

Dr. Seth Lederman, co-founder and CEO of Tonix Pharmaceuticals.

Also Featured

Dr. Allen Steere, who helped discover Lyme disease in 1976.

Ali Moresco, Lyme disease patient.

CDC also says that makes Lyme the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. It can cause fever, rash, arthritis, long-term issues such as brain fog and chronic fatigue. Just last month in May, Secretary Kennedy told a crowd in New Hampshire that he, his wife, and his six kids have all been diagnosed with Lyme disease at some point while living in Bedford, New York.

And he said that now the Department of Health and Human Services is making combating Lyme disease a top priority.

KENNEDY JR.: Millions of Americans living with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses have struggled for decades to get diagnoses, treatments, and care. They deserve better prevention, better treatments, and real support.

And today, led by the Trump administration, we're launching one of the most ambitious federal efforts ever to undertake and combat Lyme disease, accelerate research, and improve care for parents and families.

CHAKRABARTI: Kennedy announced that some $2.5 million will go to businesses, scientists, and the general public for projects focused on public awareness, prevention, and treatment.

WBUR