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From: Facpat@a...
Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2001 16:32:09 EST
Subject: AIDS, Hoof & Mouth Disease and the media
The following, received from Steve Ransom today, is a bit long, but is relevant to what has happened in the AIDS arena. I said, some years ago on Italian TV, that without TV there never would have been an "AIDS epidemic." It created a furor, but I still believe that.
The recent school shooting in San Diego by a 15-year-old boy where two were killed and many wounded, can be attributed directly to TV because of the copy-cat syndrome. When something horrendous like this happens, it is repeated in the media until it becomes a part of our psyche. TV particularly influences us because of its immediacy. Young people have not yet developed their personalities enough, and do not have the depth of being, to withstand this barrage and therefore act out their anger as if it is only a drama on stage, not being able any longer to tell the difference between the virtual world and the real world.
The same is taking place with all diseases. People develop syndromes because they saw it on TV. Day in and day out we are treated to horror stories about germs--our soap contains germicides, our shampoo, etc. It is all insane. Anyway, for those of you who have not seen this, here it is. You will see how it relates to AIDS and how the media has exaggerated what has happened in order to steal your attention.
Fred Cline, S.F.
+++++
"Stay away from the countryside..
and stay away from the facts!"
Foot and Mouth - the management of a pseudo-crisis.
Steven Ransom, Credence Publications
Over this last week, international television and radio news bulletins have
brought world audiences graphic reports of an encroaching pestilence. The
dreaded and highly infectious livestock disease known as 'foot and mouth' or
FMD has returned to British shores. The globe is being treated to round the
clock reports on 'the extent of the FMD nightmare'. Mounds of destroyed
cattle, gruesome pyres burning through the night, ashen-faced reporters
delivering the latest outbreak statistics, people being warned to stay away
from the countryside. "As well as being airborne, the foot and mouth virus
can adhere to car tyres. Do not venture into the countryside, unless
absolutely necessary." warned the BBC Monday 27th Feb 10 o'clock evening
news. The same feature included reports of international rugby matches being
cancelled, a meat shortage crisis pending, pan shots of once-thriving but now
empty cattle markets, lots of hype, lots of emotion, lots of TV batten-down
specials...but, as we shall soon discover, no actual facts.
In truth, if the events of this last week have taught us anything, it is
just how much we are at the mercy of today's media. As a result of this
barrage of emotive, inaccurate hype, there are now members of the public who
consider it genuinely irresponsible to hang out a strip of bacon for their
garden birds, or to go for a walk in the country until this crisis is over.
Despite the much-trusted BBC, ITV, CH4 pronouncements, the facts surrounding
this 'crisis' are very different to what we have so far been told.
Abigail Wood is a vet and researcher into the history of FMD, based at the
University of Manchester in the UK. She remains very down to earth over these
latest 'rampaging vicious virus' reports. Credence Publications contacted
her as a result of her recent UK Times article (1) which began thus: "Foot
and mouth is as serious to animals as a bad cold is to human beings. So why
the concern?" Wood's research, in conjunction with research carried out by
Credence Publications makes it quite clear that FMD is not the vicious
gremlin we have been led to believe.
So what is FMD? The current wisdom which we shall be examining a little
later, theorises that FMD is viral in nature. Symptoms of FMD in livestock
begin usually with a temperature, followed within 24 hours by the appearance
of blisters and ulcerations on places such as the tongue, lips, gums, dental
pad, interdigital skin of the feet, bulbs of the heels and milk teats.
Occasionally, ulcerations appear inside the nostrils or on the muzzle or
vulva. Visually, these ulcerations are the equivalent of large cold sores.
The resultant illness and lameness causes decreased appetite, a drop in milk
yield, a drop in productivity, and of course, increased care costs. Afflicted
animals almost always recover, usually within a week or two. Death occurs in
only 5 percent of cases. (2) And the meat is fit to eat. (3)
For much of the 19th century, FMD was common right the way across the UK. In
fact, it was endemic. But it did not destroy farming. We lived with it. Our
cattle became ill..and then they recovered. Life continued on as normal. So
why today's scenes of mass destruction? Quite simply, it is because we are
continuing to adhere to some woefully errant farming policy instituted nearly
50 years ago. Says Wood: "The instant destruction policy was implemented in
the 1950's by the UK governing bodies, as a result of growing pressure over
the years from pedigree herd owners, (rather than the more common meat and
milk producers) who wished to see the eradication of FMD. Continued promotion
of the slaughter policy by the UK authorities as the most effective way of
dealing with foot and mouth, eventually persuaded the continent and then the
rest of the world to follow suit. We instituted the policy, and now we have
to live with the results of that policy."
In those early years, FMD was as much a part of British farming as bad
weather, poor harvests and other afflictions affecting livelihood. But in
today's intensive farming climate, production and global reputation is
everything. Because of the UK's continued and, as we shall see, unfounded
insistence that FMD is highly infectious, and must be eradicated at all
costs, one whiff on the global food markets that UK herds have FMD leads
quite naturally to today's totally disproportionate scenes. If we are in a
pit, then it is a pit of our own making. And if this latest 'outbreak' is to
be referred to as a nightmare, then it is a nightmare brought about by our
own political and economic policies. The early zeal for the perfect pedigree
- a disease-free herd - is this same ideal not mirrored in today's genome
quest for a disease-free human race? It seems that the FMD 'instant
destruction' policy has its roots fair and square in the mistaken belief that
all illness and disease, even those considered minor and/or harmless, can
eventually be eradicated.
The cows, pigs and sheep dying today are not doing so as a result of any
illness. They are dying entirely at the hands of man. The preliminary report
on this latest FMD 'outbreak' submitted by Dr J.M. Scudamore, UK Chief
Veterinary Officer, to the OIE (Office International des Epizooties) tells of
35 cases on three farms, no deaths occurring anywhere from the actual
disease, but 577 animals on those farms nevertheless instantly destroyed. (4)
Should we line up our children because they are coughing?
With the facts to hand regarding FMD, should we not begin to ask some
fundamental questions? Why can't our vital farming community, and the public
at large be given the necessary facts, and then more importantly, the
opportunity to question this instant destruction policy? But therein lies the
difficulty folks. "It would be very difficult to change it now." Wood told
us. "That would be to question the perceived wisdom of the last 100 years."
It is entrenched scientific error, and intractable pride on behalf of the UK
agricultural and governmental bodies, that is the killer in our midst. A
spokesperson from the diagnostic department of Animal Health Trust who
wished not to be named, stated "The hype is all out of proportion. If the
authorities just left the animals alone to recover from FMD, this would make
them healthy, and immune the next time around."
Moving on from 'foot and mouth as common cold', what's all this about FMD
being viral in nature, being airborne, and sticking to car tyres and
Wellington boots? Apparently, the FMD virus is quite choosy, being breathed
out by pigs, but not breathed in by cats ordogs. It can be hosted by horses,
but to no ill-effect, and humans too can contract the virus, suffering mild
skin irritations. But is this pattern of disease grounded in reality? Does
it conform to a sensible pattern of disease? Or are we once again just
trusting the wisdom of the day? In attempting to discover how these agencies
arrive at a positive diagnosis of FMD, and to try and get an explanation for
the seemingly illogical nature of FMD proliferation, some conventional
'dodging' techniques began to surface. And especially when questioned over
the possibility of mis-diagnosis.
The blood test used to determine the presence of the FMD virus is known as
the ELISA test or enzyme linked immuno-absorbent assay test. The test
delivers the positive reading by detecting proteins and antibodies in the
blood, proteins and antibodies which are presumed to be there as a result the
presence of the virus. At no time is a virus itself ever detected. No actual
photograph exists anywhere of the FMD virus. Like so many other viruses in
the $multi-billion virus industry, we have only innumerable artists'
impressions to go by. As far as actual proof is concerned, there isn't any.
We accept the virus model for FMD (and BSE for that matter) because that's
what we're told. But there are good grounds indeed for questioning the
validity of this whole approach to disease detection. For ELISA comes to us
with a very chequered history.
In the realm of human medicine, ELISA is used extensively to detect certain
diseases, particularly HIV. And this same test is now acknowledged to be
responsible for delivering a very high number of 'false' positive HIV
diagnoses. Conventional medical literature lists some 60 different
conditions, unrelated to HIV that can elicit an HIV positive response,
including flu! (5) It is conflict of interests, huge pharmaceutical losses,
entrenched error and the threat of massive litigation that has so far stopped
this disastrous story from becoming more widely known. Back to the farmyard,
and we discover the animal kingdom is equally susceptible to foreign proteins
in the blood and heightened levels of antibody activity. The stress of
confinement alone can produce an immune response in an animal. Kelly
Sapsford, Operations Manager at Harlan Sera Labs, a serum and antibody
manufacturing company told us "Antibodies are not necessarily specific to one
disease. Picture a key that fits a certain lock. The key to that lock is not
necessarily unique. There may well be other locks out there that the key will
fit.." What minor illnesses are there in the animal kingdom that might
elicit the same immune response to FMD? And with all these farms being
visited at such lightning speed, what are the protocols being adhered to? Are
they being adhered to? Surely, we are allowed to know these things.
The officials at Pirbright Animal Health Laboratory responsible for managing
this latest 'crisis', however think otherwise. No awkward questions are
entertained. Under specific instruction from management, a Dr Tom Barrett at
Pirbright told us that staff were not allowed to answer any questions, except
through the Medical Director. Numerous telephone calls to MAFF (Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Fisheries) produced the same negative response,
pointing us only to their website. Repeated attempts to speak to somebody in
authority at Pirbright finally located the Head of Diagnostics, John
Anderson. He informed us that whilst the ELISA tests were manufactured
'in-house' "..of course, they were accurate." This same pat answer is what
was being delivered by the relevant authorities as the accounts of HIV
misdiagnosis began to surface.
Anderson then listed the other tests which are used in conjunction with
ELISA to supposedly confirm the presence of the virus. Unfortunately, the
confirmatory tests he mentioned are all equally susceptible to error. And the
fact that the Pirbright FMD tests are manufactured in-house excludes them
from that valuable check and balance system known as peer review. When
pressed on these points, Mr Anderson would not enter into discussion. But
then extracting qualifying information from governmental bodies is never
straightforward. Colin King, a spokesman from an independent veterinary
diagnostics company, stated; "The protocol information and detail you seek
will be almost impossible to come by. In peace time as well as in war, these
government agencies won't really tell you anything."
In summarising the current FMD 'crisis', this simple extract from Abigail
Wood's account of the 1920's Cheshire FMD outbreak is most revealing. Trawled
from Cheshire local newspapers available at the Cheshire Records Office we
read "Ministry teams were so far behind in their slaughtering that on many
farms the cows had recovered before the slaughterers had arrived. Farmers
looked at their now-normal cows in bewilderment and asked "Was that it? Was
that trivial illness what all the fuss was about?" (6)
Until MAFF and other responsible agencies begin to answer these questions,
and until we, the general public cease to worship so unremittingly at the
altar of conventional medical science, this crisis (as with numerous other
iatrogenic, or doctor induced crises) will remain out of control and on the
rampage. For it is in researching this situation more carefully, that we
realise the only identifiable entities out of control and on the rampage are
our own ignorance of the facts and those official bodies conducting the
current slaughter. The fact that the latest news bulletins are reporting that
'expert' intervention may now have contained the crisis, must not lull us
into a false sense of security over their expertise. There was nothing to
worry about in the first place. The whole thing has been an absolute disgrace.
For what it's worth, I see no risk at all in going out for a walk in the
country. And were I to hold the post of 'minister for birdfeed', I would not
hesitate in giving permission to all chaffinch lovers to hang out those
strips of bacon... if bacon is their preference of course!
Please distribute widely.
Comments to steve1@o...
References.
1. UK Times, 1.3.2001
2. Australian Animal Health Information Services. www.aahc.com.au March 5,
2001 update.
3. UK Times, ibid
4. Office International des Epizooties
http://www.oie.int/eng/info/hebdo/AIS_60.HTM#Sec2
5. A more detailed account of the problems with ELISA testing can be found
at http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/data/cjtestfp.htm and also at
http://tomdavisbooks.com/headlines/hivdumbtest.html
6. Ms Woods is soon to be releasing her own report on FMD. Out of respect
for copyright, the more detailed references from these early newspapers have
been withheld. They will be published in full in Ms Wood's report.
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-- Jeff -- <http://www.wellnow.com>
"There's nothing left in the world to prove. All that's worth doing
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