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WNV In Alligators Termed
'Amazing' - CWD Now Epidemic

From Patricia Doyle, PhD
dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com
11-16-2

Hello, Jeff - I did receive a comment from Tom Monath at Oravax, aka Acambis, regarding Alligators and WNV. He said it was (and I am quoting) "AMAZING."
 
WNV has never, in its entire history, been found in cold-blooded reptiles. As for the alligators, we are not simply discussing 3 that were tested, but HUNDREDS of alligators on "gator" farms that have been found dead over the past 4 years. No one ever thought of testing them for WNV. To tell you the truth, I would like interview the person who thought to test the gators. Testing them was a great call.
 
As for mosquito transmission. If, in fact there are hundreds of gators that have died of WNV, I doubt, very much, that they were all bitten by infected mosquitos. For that many gators to be postive, i.e. via mosquito vector, there would have to be as many or more humans, birds, horses etc. For a mosquito to bite through the tough scales of a gator, that would not be easy. So, we then have the possibility of another vector. Could WNV have been in the gator's food source? Could there be that many WNV positive mosquito larva in and around swamps? There again, one would expect more mammal and bird cases in the area. It might be possible that "someone" is filling swamps and waterways with WNV+ mosquito larva and one a percentage of larva make it to the adult stage. An alligator is an opportunist when it comes to food. They could be taking in large gulps of water that is saturated with infected larva.
 
Possibly, the death rate indicates the fact that gators never have been exposed to the virus and their systems cannot fight against it. One thing for sure, NY 99 WNV-LIKE is FAR DIFFERENT than any WNV on the planet.
 
As for CWD, the people need to be told that CWD is an EPIDEMIC. And they need to be told NOW. Deer, Elk, and now REINDEER, and my prediction is, other animals will be discovered to be infected really soon. We will probably hear about new species cases before the end of the year or the first half of 2003. I am POSITIVE that the genie is out of the bottle on this one.
 
It would not surprise me to learn that the disease can be passed via body fluids, but also might become vectored, as in ticks and other biting insects. No one really knows WHY it is spreading so rapidly. We have seen it in animals that have been sequestered at farms and have had no contact with wild populations. So, how is a herd that is more or less quarantined getting the illness? Well, ticks and other biting insects do not respect fences.
 
Yesterday, I sat outside and watched a bumble bee. It was unable to fly for any length of time. It tried and tried and only lifted a few inches off the ground. It warbbled and was unable to coordinate. It looked like mad cow would look in cattle. The bee was obviously uncoordinated and stumbled and feel over trying to manuver. CWD prions? WNV NY99?
 
There is obviously a tremendously serious problems with our environment, its plants, its water, its animals and insect life. I don't know if it can be fixed.
 
As I stated above, I think that this year or soon in 2003, we shall hear about suspected Chronic Wasting Disease cases in animals other then deer and elk.
 
Patty
 
Patricia A. Doyle, PhD Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message board at: http://www.clickitnews.com/emergingdiseases/index.shtml Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa Go with God and in Good Health
 
 
 
Mad Deer/CWD And 'West Nile Virus' - Out Of Control Epidemics
By Jeff Rense
11-16-2
 
As of this time, there is no stopping the apparently 100% fatal CWD/Mad Deer epidemic. As of this time, there is no stopping the often deadly 'West Nile-like Virus' epidemic.
 
There is also no reason to dismiss the possibility that essentially most deer will eventually either become infected with CWD and die, or at least be exposed to the disease and become carriers. And what about the predators that eat these infected deer? And the animals that eat the predators? It is not unreasonable to project that most all living things in the food chain are potentially at risk.
 
Unconfirmed Vectors
 
We don't know exactly how Mad Deer/CWD is being spread through wild populations or to isolated farm herds . The best guess is via body fluids. But that certainly does not answer all the questions. We must now also seriously consider biting insects as vectors. Insects, especially mosquitoes and ticks, are known to spread scores of viruses, so why couldn't they spread the even smaller CWD prion?
 
How Can Cattle Escape CWD and West Nile-like Virus?
 
Mad Deer/CWD may the the same prion as Mad Cow. If not, they must be considered siblings. A few researchers suspect we also have CWD/Mad Cow in the US beef and dairy industry but those industries are successfully holding back public discussion on that possibility. Remember that cattle, including any CWD/Mad Cow infected cattle, are slaughtered and sent to market long BEFORE they can develop the later stage physical symptoms of Mad Cow prion infection. Of course, the same insects which may be spreading Mad Deer/CWD also bite cattle...(and people). Can people get prion diseases? Absolutely. We call them CJD and vCJD.
 
Deer Hunting May Soon End
 
It is a reasonable projection that deer hunting will become history. Right now, Fish and Game agencies guidance to deer hunters is not to shoot an animal that is 'ACTING STRANGELY'...which is bordering of stupidity in terms of offering much protection to hunters. If a CWD deer is SHOWING obvious symptoms, it is probably in the FINAL stages of dying from the disease. Most infected deer likely don't SHOW symptoms for the majority of time they are infected.
 
A number of deer-eating hunters have already died from 'CJD' but authorities claim their deaths were only coincidental to their consumption of wild deer meat and were not caused by CWD. How can the authorities make that claim with any assurance?
 
Others expect substantial numbers of deer hunters and others may well begin dying soon from what will be officially called vCJD and CJD...which will, of course, quite probably be CWD. And so most deer hunting will end. As will elk hunting, and elk and deer farming.
 
This deadly TSE CWD prion epidemic could conceivably threaten the continued existence of many species of animals. For now, it is reasonable to assume it is being spread via body fluids and biting insects because of the rapidity of the new reports of infected, dying animals found in more and more locations.
 
The same can be said of the spread of the new West Nile-like Virus which has killed uncountable numbers of birds, and many horses - and is just now confirmed in alligators and reindeer. We clearly and obviously have TWO deadly epidemics out of control in the North American environment.
 
- Jeff Rense
 
 
From Patricia Doyle,
PhD dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com
 
Hello, Jeff, thought you might be interested in my commentary to promed. Patty
 
WEST NILE VIRUS, REPTILES, ALLIGATORS - USA (FL)
 
A ProMED-mail post http://www.promedmail.org ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases http://www.isid.org
 
Date: Sat 16 Nov 2002 From: "Patricia Doyle, PhD"
<dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com>
 
 
I think that another question should be: What does West Nile virus in Florida alligators tell us about West Nile virus and its spread in the US? The first of the articles that Promed-mail posted [see: West Nile virus, reptiles, alligators - USA (FL) 20021114.5797 - Mod.CP] discussed the possibility that some or many of the deaths of "hundreds" of alligators in a 4 year period was caused by West Nile virus. If this is proven, then West Nile virus must have been ingrained in the Florida environment long before theorized. It might also indicate that West Nile virus was here long before 1999.
 
Another possibility is that West Nile virus was first in the Florida environment then made its way to New York City. This would make a case for entry of West Nile virus into the US [from the south rather than the east]. I hope that someone with expertise in reptile viruses would post comments on finding West Nile virus in alligators. An arbovirus expert told me that finding West Nile virus in alligators was "amazing".
 
 
-- Patricia A Doyle, PhD
<dr_p_doyle@hotmail.com>







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