THE QUIET EPIDEMIC, streaming at Rivertown Film

Directed by Lindsay Keys and Winslow Crane-Murdoch
USA, 2022, 101 minutes.
After years of living with mysterious symptoms, a young girl from Brooklyn
and a Duke University scientist are diagnosed with a disease said to not
exist: Chronic Lyme disease. The Quiet Epidemic follows their search for
answers, which lands them in the middle of a vicious medical debate. What
begins as a patient story evolves into an investigation into the history of
Lyme disease, dating back to its discovery in 1975. A paper trail of
suppressed scientific research and buried documents reveals why ticks – and
the diseases they carry – have been allowed to quietly spread around the
globe.
Lyme disease is a potentially debilitating and sometimes fatal infection
caused by bacteria transmitted through the bite of an infected tick to
people and pets. Nearly half a million (476,000) or more new cases of Lyme
disease are diagnosed each year in all 50 states of the U.S. Due to the
difficulty in diagnosing and treating Lyme disease, more than two million
people suffer from its debilitating later stage symptoms. Researchers have
found that Lyme disease costs the U.S. healthcare system between $712
million and $1.3 billion a year.
“Through its masterful storytelling, The Quiet Epidemic does what any good
investigative doc should do – it informs, infuriates, breaks your heart,
and fills you with hope.”
– Awards Daily