- 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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