>>2160349Lyme disease has its origins in a government biowarfare project and was released either knowingly or accidentally on the US population originating from the Plum Island, NY bioweapons facility during the Cold War. Borrelia burgdorferi is closest genomically to similar spirochetes found in the Swiss mountains (where the biowar project lead was from, Willy Burgdorfer). During the Cold War the US was primarily interested in vector transmitted diseases to attack populations & crops (such as tularemia, which the Soviets also had an extensive program for). The M.O. behind Lyme research was probably to have a low level infection to disrupt troop activity through common symptoms such as extreme fatigue, radiculopathy, and similar nerve disorders and through general enervation of the hosts nervous system. Lyme is also notoriously difficult to eradicate from a host once established, which, given the bioweapons background, is probably a feature, not a bug.
If you're interested in this material I highly recommend Kris Newbys' book "Bitten" which covers the topic extensively and has key interviews with Burgdorfer shortly before he passed from old age.
