Time: Sun Mar 16 05:34:03 1997 by primenet.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id VAA07879 for [address in tool bar]; Sat, 15 Mar 1997 21:31:21 -0700 (MST) via sendmail with smtp id <m0w67bJ-001KmSC@on-ramp.ior.com> for [address in tool bar]; Sat, 15 Mar 97 20:31:17 -0800 (PST) (/\##/\ Smail3.1.30.16 #30.4 built 17-mar-96) Date: Sat, 15 Mar 97 20:31:17 -0800 (PST) To: (Recipient list suppressed), Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] (by way of rond@on-ramp.ior.com (Ronald J. Davenport)) Subject: SLS: SNET: Gulf War Illness answers from infected Prof. (fwd) <snip> >>From: gnicimm@ix.netcom.com (Garth L. Nicolson) >>Subject: gwvm Re: your comments on news article. > >> >>Dear Tony, >>In answer to your question, Yes, apparently healthy adults can be infected >by mycoplasmas, but you are correct in that immunocompromised individuals >are at most risk. You are also correct in that the LA Times reporter took >my comments out of context. It's difficult to know how various members of >my laboratory became infected. For most, it was probably that they were >techs or scientists working directly with the blood of vets with GWI >(myself included). Also, I could have become infected from my >step-daughter. The only exception is my GWI clerk. Although he worked in >an office, he has been in fairly close contact with many ODS vets over the >last few years. The infection that we found is an airborne infection found >in vets whose immediately family members also have the signs and symptoms >of GWI. Thus not all ODS vets have this infection; in fact, only a subset >have the mycoplasmal infection. Those who have infection respond to >multiple courses of antibiotics effective ag- >>ainst mycoplasmal infections, including family members who respond just >like the veterans. The usual course is that they slowly recover, and when >retested after their recovery, they are negative for the infection in their >blood. (They may have some residual infection deep inside the cells in >their tissues, but we can no longer detect it in a blood sample.) We have >found unusual genes associated with the mycoplasmal infection, genes that >SUGGEST (certainly not prove) that we might be dealing with an altered >microorganism, perhaps a "weaponized" variant. I have always stressed that >these agents could have been endogenous and present in the Middle East. >There are some suspicious aspects to this notion, such as the fact that the >Iraqis had an extensive research program on mycoplasmas, employing hundreds >of scientists in two special units at the Universities of Baghdad and the >Basra. Many of the scientists in these units were trained in the US at our >government laboratories. ! >>About a year ago, the head of one of these laboratories, Prof. Al- >> did the US Commerce Dept. place an administrative hold on the transfer of >"altered" mycoplasmas just before the Gulf War? >> >>What appeared in the LA Times was not new information. We have published >the results of our studies in 6 peer-reviewed medical publications over the >last year or so, and other news articles have appeared on this subject. I >think that what increased the visibility of the LA Times story was that the >author was superficial and alarmist in his approach, and the fact that it >appeared on the front page. I always tell reporters that I am willing to >proof read their articles for accuracy but few take me up on it. This is >one of the problems in dealing with the press. They quickly write their >stories and send them to press, and then they are off on another completely >different story. Copy editors can't deal with the technical aspects of the >stories, so they just correct the obvious errors. In my approximately 30 >years as a scientist, professor and educator in Medical and Graduate >Schools, I still can't seem to get reporters to do exactly what I want. >They are a very independent! >> breed--at least the good ones. I have never held a press conference in >my life--they have to come to me to get any information. It seems our >patients are their best sources. If the patients that we helped were not >recovering and speaking about their experiences, they would, I suspect, >never show up. It is not by accident that I was made an Honorary COLONEL >of the Special Forces last year. The 3rd and 5th SF needed help, and we >provided what we could. (I probably unfairly ask my detractors why I >received this honor, not them. It only came about because we had something >that we could do to help, and we had the guts to disregard the 'political >correctness' of the medical and scientific establishment and go against >conventional wisdom at great personal loss.) >> >>It is a fact that we receive about 1-2 calls per day from health care >professionals who now have the signs and symptoms of GWI, and we have been >receiving them steadily for some time now. I just got off the phone with a >nurse from the Long Beach, CA VAMC who deals with GWI patients. He is sick >with GWI and would like to know where he can get help. He certainly can't >get any help from the VA system. Another VA nurse I talked to yesterday >was involved in PTSD therapy, and is now ashamed and sick with GWI. She >said she was ashamed, because she knew that the vets had medical not mental >illnesses. But she went along with the program, because she did not want >to lose her job. I also talked to a COL at the War College who is sick >with GWI as is his wife. As it turns out, most of his officers from ODS >have come to us for help, and their wives and children are also sick. Our >patients come from all the services and all grades from PFC to two stars. >(Yes, even the LTG can't see! >>m to get help on this problem.) This is where we come in. At no cost to >the patient, we analyze their blood, provide documents on the condition, >counseling if necessary on where they can get help, and, of course, >treatment recommendations. This is all done through donations. We have >never made a dime on our GWI research. Quite the contrary, it has almost >completely depleted my personal funds, but it is certainly worth it to help >our veterans who have been placed in harms way. >> >>Sincerely, >>Prof. Garth Nicolson >>CSO, Institute for Molecular Medicine (a nonprofit institution) > >-> Send "subscribe snetnews " to majordomo@world.std.com >-> Posted by: tfs@adc.com (Tony F Sgarlatti) > > ======================================================================== Paul Andrew, Mitchell, B.A., M.S. : Counselor at Law, federal witness email: [address in tool bar] : Eudora Pro 3.0.1 on Intel 586 CPU web site: http://www.supremelaw.com : library & law school registration ship to: c/o 2509 N. Campbell, #1776 : this is free speech, at its best Tucson, Arizona state : state zone, not the federal zone Postal Zone 85719/tdc : USPS delays first class w/o this ========================================================================
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