12 episodes

How are medical mysteries solved? And what happens when questions remain? Patient Zero is an investigation of the spaces where people and pathogens collide. We take a deep dive in to the history – and mystery – of one of the fastest spreading epidemics of our time: Lyme disease. Learn more at www.patientzeropodcast.com.

Patient Zero NHPR

    • Science
    • 4.1 • 1.3K Ratings

How are medical mysteries solved? And what happens when questions remain? Patient Zero is an investigation of the spaces where people and pathogens collide. We take a deep dive in to the history – and mystery – of one of the fastest spreading epidemics of our time: Lyme disease. Learn more at www.patientzeropodcast.com.

    BONUS: Lyme AMA (Ask Me Anything)

    BONUS: Lyme AMA (Ask Me Anything)

    Is it Lyme disease, or Lyme's disease? Can humans take the canine Lyme vaccine? Does everybody infected with Lyme also get co-infections? These are some of the listener questions we attempt to answer in this Bonus episode. It's the Lyme AMA!

    Patient Zero is sponsored by Ben’s. Click here to learn more or go to https://bens30.com/patientzero

    • 43 min
    BONUS: Patient Otzi

    BONUS: Patient Otzi

    The earliest known case of Lyme disease? Or the problem with correcting the
    record?

    Patient Zero is sponsored by Ben’s. Click here to learn more or go to https://bens30.com/patientzero

    • 15 min
    BONUS: Horses & Zebras

    BONUS: Horses & Zebras

    The origin of ulcers. The rise and fall of a medical recommendation.
    Certainty and science.

    Patient Zero is sponsored by Ben’s. Click here to learn more or go to https://bens30.com/patientzero

    • 17 min
    EP 7: The Reservoir

    EP 7: The Reservoir

    Society inadvertently engineers an epidemic. Scientists debate whether or not to engineer a solution.
     
     Learn more at patientzeropodcast.com

    • 51 min
    Ep 6: The Non-A Non-B

    Ep 6: The Non-A Non-B

    An ambiguous case with no easy answers. Another growing epidemic, and an ethics question that might help explain Lymeworld.
    To get access to bonus episodes as well as early access to our regular episodes, click here. 

    • 47 min
    Bonus – LYMErix

    Bonus – LYMErix

    In the late 90s you could get vaccinated against Lyme. Now you can't. What gives?
     
    To get access to other bonus episodes, as well as early access to our regular episodes, click here. 

    • 14 min

Customer Reviews

4.1 out of 5
1.3K Ratings

1.3K Ratings

katyperrytherealone ,

Fascinating, informative, and engaging - just perfect!

I wrote my masters thesis on Lyme disease and actually did research with one of the interviewees in the final episode and even I learned a lot from this show! Seriously a must-listen for anyone living in the Northeast.

Listsner ,

Excellent!

This was a very well-done, engaging, smart, informative podcast! Thank you!

applezmoi ,

Brilliant Audio Journalism

This podcast produced by New Hampshire Public Radio is a deep dive look at Lyme disease; its history, origins, but also the precariousness that comes with the diagnosis. Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that causes symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, skin rash, and when left untreated heart, nerve, and joint issues. I didn’t know there could be so much “controversy” around a disease. I thought in the medical profession that there were knowns and unknowns but I guess it makes sense there are things up for debate. This podcast confronts this and so much more like misinformation of this understudied illness. No matter what you’re into, this podcast touches it a bit. It listens like true crime but instead of crooks, the offenders are bacteria. This being said I don’t think the show is gross when it comes to the medical details at all. The eight-part series has three really great bonus episodes but they should all be listened to in order. It’s chocked-full of compelling reporting and solid production quality which comes as no surprise seeing how it came from the same team that produced Bear Brook. Host and reporter, Taylor Quimby, is also a senior producer for NHPR’s widely popular Outside/In podcast and comes to Patient Zero with personal experience. In 2017, Quimby had his own confrontation with the infection which he speaks about lightly throughout the pod. The search for answers about the condition was a major motivation for the show. Apple podcasts have 4.1 stars and 1,300 ratings. It was also named one of the best listens of 2019 by the same. Average episode length is 33 minutes and the music is discreet. The script involves some interviews and the host narrating the story of the disease. Sound effects were barely noticeable to me but bothered some. Trigger warnings for hopelessness and medical scenarios.

Similar Pods: This Much is True, This Podcast Will Kill You, and Emerging Infectious Diseases

For more reviews check out @themastercast on instagram and @mastercastpods on twitter

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