Archive 1 B

Christines Blog (Archive Blogs 1b)
Saturday 4th June 2011 It would appear from this paper to be published this month, that visitors from the USA to the UK have put themselves at risk of developing vCJD. This paragraph below from the paper highlights the risk that BSE/vCJD holds for the global community. When myself, other families affected by vCJD and supporters of this campaign, demonstrate, investigate and confront those responsible for BSE/vCJD we do so on behalf of all of our brothers and sisters from the global family. John Gummer., Kenneth Clarke and those listed on this website must face criminal proceedings for the numbers of people who have been and will be affected by vCJD and the millions of us who were unlawfully exposed to BSE in the food and medicine chain. Food and medicine should be safe for our children and families to ingest. Travellers to the UK were more likely to have spent at least 30 days in the country (24.9%) compared to travelers to any other BSE endemic country. The prevalence and extent of travel to the UK indicate that health concerns in the UK may also become issues for US residents. NEWSWISE CDC Assesses Potential Human Exposure to Prion Diseases Released: 5/23/2011 3:35 PM EDT Source: American Dietetic Association (ADA) Newswise Philadelphia, PA, May 23, 2011 Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have examined the potential for human exposure to prion diseases, looking at hunting, venison consumption, and travel to areas in which prion diseases have been reported in animals. Three prion diseases in particular bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or Mad Cow Disease), variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), and chronic wasting disease (CWD) were specified in the investigation. The results of this investigation are published in the June issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. While prion diseases are rare, they are generally fatal for anyone who becomes infected. More than anything else, the results of this study support the need for continued surveillance of prion diseases, commented lead investigator Joseph Y. Abrams, MPH, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDC, Atlanta.But its also important that people know the facts about these diseases, especially since this study shows that a good number of people have participated in activities that may expose them to infection-causing agents. Although rare, human prion diseases such as CJD may be related to BSE. Prion (proteinaceous infectious particles) diseases are a group of rare brain diseases that affect humans and animals. When a person gets a prion disease, brain function is impaired. This causes memory and personality changes, dementia, and problems with movement. All of these worsen over time. These diseases are invariably fatal. Since these diseases may take years to manifest, knowing the extent of human exposure to possible prion diseases could become important in the event of an outbreak. CDC investigators evaluated the results of the 2006-2007 population survey conducted by the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet). This survey collects information on food consumption practices, health outcomes, and demographic characteristics of residents of the participating Emerging Infections Program sites. The survey was conducted in Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Tennessee, as well as five counties in the San Francisco Bay area, seven counties in the Greater Denver area, and 34 counties in western and northeastern New York. Survey participants were asked about behaviours that could be associated with exposure to the agents causing BSE and CWD, including travel to the nine countries considered to be BSE-endemic (United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain) and the cumulative length of stay in each of those countries. Respondents were asked if they ever had hunted for deer or elk, and if that hunting had taken place in areas considered to be CWD-endemic (northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming or southwestern Nebraska). They were also asked if they had ever consumed venison, the frequency of consumption, and whether the meat came from the wild. The proportion of survey respondents who reported travel to at least one of the nine BSE endemic countries since 1980 was 29.5%. Travel to the United Kingdom was reported by 19.4% of respondents, higher than to any other BSE-endemic country. Among those who traveled, the median duration of travel to the United Kingdom (14 days) was longer than that of any other BSE-endemic country. Travelers to the UK were more likely to have spent at least 30 days in the country (24.9%) compared to travelers to any other BSE endemic country. The prevalence and extent of travel to the UK indicate that health concerns in the UK may also become issues for US residents. The proportion of survey respondents reporting having hunted for deer or elk was 18.5% and 1.2% reported having hunted for deer or elk in CWD-endemic areas. Venison consumption was reported by 67.4% of FoodNet respondents, and 88.6% of those reporting venison consumption had obtained all of their meat from the wild. These findings reinforce the importance of CWD surveillance and control programs for wild deer and elk to reduce human exposure to the CWD agent. Hunters in CWD-endemic areas are advised to take simple precautions such as: avoiding consuming meat from sickly deer or elk, avoiding consuming brain or spinal cord tissues, minimizing the handling of brain and spinal cord tissues, and wearing gloves when field-dressing carcasses. According to Abrams, The 2006-2007 FoodNet population survey provides useful information should foodborne prion infection become an increasing public health concern in the future. The data presented describe the prevalence of important behaviors and their associations with demographic characteristics. Surveillance of BSE, CWD, and human prion diseases are critical aspects of addressing the burden of these diseases in animal populations and how that may relate to human health.
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The article is Travel history, hunting, and venison consumption related to prion disease exposure, 2006-2007 FoodNet population survey by Joseph Y. Abrams, MPH; Ryan A. Maddox, MPH; Alexis R Harvey, MPH; Lawrence B. Schonberger, MD; and Ermias D. Belay, MD. It appears in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 111, Issue 6 (June 2011) published by Elsevier. In an accompanying podcast CDCs Joseph Y. Abrams discusses travel, hunting, and eating venison in relation to prion diseases. It is available at http://adajournal.org/content/podcast. American Dietetic Association (ADA) Name and Address American Dietetic Association (ADA) News office: 120 S Riverside Plz., Ste. 2000 Chicago IL 60606-6995 United States Phones Phone news office: 312-899-4802 312-899-4802 Phone main: Fax news office: 312-899-4845 312-899-4845 Tuesday 31st May 2011 Below are two letters one from Novartis, this drug company are vaccine manufacturers who are continuing to hedge and prevaricate and not tell the truth about ingredients they used in vaccines during and after BSE. I am asking particular questions abut the oral polio, polio, and diphtheria and tetanus vaccines. All of which were produced by Welcome and then sold on to Evans now Novartis in 1991. Welcome have admitted that bovine, primate and human material were used in the manufacture of oral polio, diphtheria and tetanus vaccines and this portfolio was sold onward to Novartis. Below the letter from Keith Gandy Corporate Counsel for Novartis is my reply and challenge. I have written many, many letters to Novartis on behalf of my Andrew and also on behalf of the millions of people across the UK who also received these injections. We need and should know the truth. What really went into our childrens and loved ones vaccines during BSE? No batch individual numbers are needed for this simple request. The UK public should be given this information, there is no reason for us not to be given this information its in the public interest and a public health issue. Why are Novartis dragging their feet and refusing to answer my simple question?
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Ms Christine Lord Hampshire mschristinelord@aol.com www.justice4andy.com 24th May 2011 Dear Keith Gandy, Oral Polio, Polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria Vaccines manufactured by Wellcome Foundation. Transferred 1991 to Evans Medical Ltd now Novartis I am once again amazed at the lack of help and transparency from Novartis and yourself as part of its legal team. Within your archives you have the answers to my simple question but are being deliberately obtuse and are unwilling to help a bereaved mother in her quest for the truth. I have written several letters first to Novartis head of immunology Dr Chris Worth and now the Novartis Legal team. I repeat my request Did Evans now Novartis in its production, processing, manufacturing of its oral polio, polio, and tetanus and diphtheria vaccines ever use primate, bovine, or human material. I ask this on behalf of my late son Andrew Black who received vaccines during the 1980s and 1990s who died of vCJD in 2007 aged 24 and on behalf of the millions of children, babies and young adults who were also inoculated with these vaccines. In your last correspondence (May 20th 2011) you dismiss my questions and state, However we cannot respond to the type of general wide ranging questions your correspondence now includes. I asked these same simple and basic questions of GlaxoSmithKline who as part of Wellcome sold on their vaccine portfolio to Evans (now Novartis) in 1991. This was part of GlaxoSmithKlines reply, which revealed that: The Wellcome Foundation sold its oral polio vaccine and DT vaccines To Evans Medical Ltd (now Novartis) in 1991 and at that time the regulatory information about those vaccines was transferred to Evans Medical Ltd ( now Novartis) as the product license holder of those vaccines. GlaxoSmithKline also told me Bovine, monkey and human material were used in the development and manufacture of these vaccines. As these vaccines and their ingredients contained bovine, monkey and human material when they were passed onwards to yourselves, I would like clarification if Novartis continued to use bovine, primate and human in any part of the manufacture and processing of their vaccines? I understand as license holder of these vaccines that Novartis continue to retain in archives and current files all details of the ingredients of these vaccines and materials used at every stage of the process. As representative of its legal team, you and Novartis are fully aware of the material its archives and what was used in those vaccines, and like GalxoSmithKline can provide me with these answers.Why are you choosing to reply to a heartbroken mother in such a dismissive tone when the answer to my simple question is easily accessible? I was told
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by your staff that vaccines and their ingredients are stored in your archives going back decades. Speaking to many high level scientists who are involved in the making of these vaccines during and since, I know that because of corporate, medical, insurance, legal, policy and scientific reasons that this information and the storage of that information is within your archives and computer system and easily accessible. There is no need of individual batch numbers for this simple request. I find the continuation of letters with carefully crafted prose which gives no answers both offensive and upsetting. Why are Novartis choosing to withhold this information which is in the interest of the public as well as a grieving mum who needs answers? I request once again Did oral polio, polio dip and tetanus vaccines produced and manufactured by Novartis ( Evans Medical Ltd) who bought the license from Welcome in 1991 contain bovine, primate and human material during any part of its process, development and manufacturing. I expect a full reply with all the details I have requested. Yours sincerely, Christine Lord Thursday 26th May 2011
THE NEWS PORTSMOUTH UK (Published - May 12th 2011) Portsmouth mother calls on Prime Minster to launch probe in vCJD
MEMORIES Christine Lord with her son Andrew By Rachel Hawthorn A MOTHER who lost her son to the human form of mad cow disease has called on the Prime Minister to launch a criminal investigation into his unlawful death. Christine Lord, whose 24-year-old son Andrew died from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in 2007, led families to Downing Street yesterday to hand in a petition. Miss Lord says she has gathered evidence to suggest the BSE outbreak in cows, which was transmitted to humans through infected meat, was covered up and the government knew the dangers of people eating potentially infected beef. Miss Lord, from Southsea, said: We are telling David Cameron that we want a criminal investigation. Ive been gathering evidence for a long time now, evidence from people who were called to speak during the BSE inquiry. Theyre coming forward now and theyve told us they knew about the dangers of eating infected meat and it was covered up. One top scientist has said all British beef was removed from government ships to protect scientists from BSE. Another has said the inquiry into BSE was stage-managed by the very people it was supposed to investigate. Maybe their consciences are pricking them now or theyve retired and are thinking they should have done something at the time and want to put it right. But we have evidence there was a cover-up now and we want a proper independent investigation into our loved ones unlawful deaths. The families also held a two-minute silence outside No 10, and laid a wreath in memory of the victims who have died from vCJD. This is the second time in seven months that they have been to Downing Street. In November they handed in personal letters to Mr Cameron, calling for justice. But they received no response. Friday 20th May 2011 Two young people in their twenties and a young man in his thirties have developed or been diagnosed with vCJD in the UK within the last few weeks. The campaign team and its supporters hold out the hand of friendship and understanding to these heartbroken families and the individuals that are so cruelly dying of vCJD. We also continue to be a voice for those victims who are unable to defend and can no longer speak out for themselves. In 2011 people continue to die of vCJD here in the UK and across the globe. Currently many families who receive the shattering news that their loved one has vCJD and will be dead within months after a horrific decline are told by officials from the UK Department of Health Your loved one is the only person who has developed this disease for years. Siblings have told me they were informed there is no family member we can put you in touch with. as people dont get vCJD any moreor for Confidentiality reasons we cant do that. Despite myself and many other family members leaving contact details with all the major hospitals. One London hospital receives up to 20 referrals a month with CJD.
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My experience of families affected by vCJD is an overwhelming need to speak to others who have been through the horror of this UK man made manufactured disease. Isolating, intimidating and keeping families in the dark, is a vain attempt by the UK government to separate and keep people from talking to each other and discovering the truth. Its a terrible indictment of Whitehall and its machinations at how it will stop at nothing to keep the lid on the truth surrounding BSE and its lethal pathogen vCJD. When families start to talk to each other coincidences and lifestyle similarities start to become very apparent. Alongside this blog are more photos of our demonstration to Downing Street and peaceful, protest inside the Ministry of Justice headquarters of Kenneth Clarke. The photo of the three women are mothers, two who have lost sons to vCJD and another single mum of two who is at risk of developing vCJD due to a blood transfusion in 2008.These dignified ladies were threatened with arrest during their respectful protest in the reception area of a accessible public building. 'One death is totally unacceptable from an preventable UK man made disease, hundreds of innocent people being killed is wholesale manslaughter' Christine Lord statement to Prime Minister David Cameron, Downing Street 12th May 2011 Monday 16th May 2011 As part of the demand for an independent criminal investigation into hundreds of unlawful vCJD deaths, thousands who are disabled due to contaminated blood and millions of us who have been exposed to BSE and it lethal human pathogen vCJD; we staged a peaceful sit in at the reception area of the Ministry of Justice. This department is run by Kenneth Clarke and is based in Petty France, Westminster, Central London; its a public building open to anyone who is walking by and has free access. Dozens of mums, dads, grandparents, brothers, sisters who have lost a loved one to vCJD sat down in protest with me inside the Ministry of Justice. Alongside this blog are photos taken as events unfolded. The mission statement outside the Ministry of Justice is SAFE JUST DEMOCRATIC. Despite sitting quietly in the reception area with our banners, not making a noise and behaving with impeccable manners and attitude, we were soon asked to leave. Many sharp suited security men appeared, those with high level clearance working at the heart of Kenneth Clarkes Machiavellian web of intrigue. Campaigners some elderly pensioners were told the photos of their loved ones dying of Vcjd (all of which have been in the media) were distressing staff. I would hazard it was making Kenneth Clarke and his minions guilty and afraid. During the sit in I delivered two live radio interviews one for the BBC, in which I stated that the campaign members wished to have a face to face meeting with Kenneth Clarke and demand an independent police inquiry into our loved ones unlawful deaths. We were told repeatedly that no one would come and talk to us. We sat in the building for 30 minutes and the police were then called by KENNETH CLARKEs offices to remove us from the building or arrest us. The police and the ordinary members of security at the Ministry of Justice were doing their job they had no choice. The police and security officers sat down with us many with tear in their eyes when we recounted what had happened to our children and loved ones. They avidly took our leaflets, helped take our photos and were genuinely supportive of our aims and goals. The majority of the police and armed forces remain a great support for the campaign as members of the serving police and armed forces have died of vCJD. The police and armed forces are also aware of the corruption and lies that enabled BSE and vCJD. Their family members remain steadfast and helpful with our investigations and the gathering of evidence. Campaigners left the building peacefully after being told if we didnt within five minutes some of the group would be arrested. We stopped the protest inside the Ministry of Justice with the clear understanding that if we continued our protest outside an official from the Ministry of Justice would come down and speak to us. We laid a wreath outside the department and had two minutes silence before I read out the hundreds of names of people who have died across the UK and globally of vCJD. The group of devastated mums and dads waited but no one ever appeared to talk to us once again lies had been told, to falsely reassure. With this blog is just some of the photos taken inside the ministry of justice as events unfolded. I shook hands with all the police and told them that one day members of the police force would be handcuffing Kenneth Clarke and those named and shamed on this website and leading them into the dock in a criminal court of law. We left with the understanding that the police are there to respectfully serve the public to protect them and to make sure justice will be carried out. The dead cannot cry out for justice its the duty of the living to do so for them
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Friday 13th May 2011 FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF VCJD DEMAND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO HUNDREDS OF UNLAWFUL DEATHS Below is just some of the press coverage we received yesterday, after the release of significant audio and damning evidence regarding the corruption and lies of those responsible for BSE and its lethal human pathogen vCJD. . The audio interviews are from Whitehall officials who worked in MAFF throughout BSE stating that the BSE inquiry was stage managed by the very people it was supposed to investigate. Also evidence from Captain Mike Harding a master on government research vessel RRS Discovery who told the BBC that British beef was removed from all ships menus to protect the top scientists from BSE this was in the late 1988s when John Gummer, Kenneth Clarke and the conservative government up till 1997 were telling the public that British beef was safe. These and other government officials named and shamed on this website for over a decade allowed BSE infected material into the human food and medicine chain and into school meals and childhood vaccines. Those ministers and officials knew the risks but protected tops scientists brains whilst force feeding our most vulnerable infants and children with BSE infected material in school meals, baby food and vaccines. The campaign continues to gather significant evidence as more people come forward who were working at the very heart of the Conservative UK government during and throughout BSE and since. . On behalf of all victims of vcjd and on behalf of the UK public the campaign, its members and supporters are demanding a criminal investigation in our loved ones unlawful deaths and the mass exposure of millions of innocent people across the UK to BSE. Campaigner state its not a case of if but when those Conservative Government Ministers and officials responsible for BSE/vCJD will be punished and face legal proceedingswe will get justice for our loved ones and for all the millions of UK public that have been exposed to this lethal brain wasting and UK man made disease. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-13372323
Campaigners demand 'mad cow disease' criminal inquiry

By Dominic Blake BBC News After handing in their petition the group was thrown out of the Ministry of Justice as part of its protest Campaigners calling for a criminal inquiry into human deaths linked to "mad cow disease" have taken their case to Downing Street. They claim previous governments knew meat from cows infected with BSE posed a risk to humans but kept it quiet. The first cases of BSE were identified in 1986 but the government continued to reassure the public in subsequent years. Relatives of those who have died from the human form of mad cow disease, variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD), handed in a petition to 10 Downing Street earlier and laid a wreath in memory of the 171 British victims of the disease. They then moved on to the Ministry of Justice where the police were called to remove them during a protest against Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, who was a health minister and health secretary in the 1980s. Among the protesters was Christine Lord, 53, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, who lost her 24-year-old son Andrew Black to the brain-wasting disease. She said: "They (the government) didn't give us an informed choice, or any other family an informed choice. The mantra was 'British beef is safe for you and your children to eat'. "We're now asking the prime minister to request an independent criminal investigation that has no involvement with any minister who was involved in BSE." In 1990, the then agriculture minister John Gummer made a public show of feeding a burger to his four-year-old daughter Cordelia.
Beef off menu

Infected material continued to go into the food chain until 1996, 10 years after the emergence of BSE, despite what campaigners say was widespread concern amongst government scientists. In the late 1980s Mike Harding was the captain of the research vessel Discovery. It was one of a fleet of ships operated by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Agriculture minister John Gummer said at the time he was not worried. He said: "The scientists on board had serious doubts about eating British beef. Subsequently I took my own family off British beef, and we haven't eaten it since." By 1989, British beef was off the menu on all NERC vessels, Mr Harding said."There was a notice saying British beef would no longer be served on board because of concerns raised about BSE by members of the scientific community and that foreign beef would be used. We subsequently loaded Uruguayan beef," he said. "The fact that it happened made me think that maybe if the British farming industry knew that a UK government ship was loading foreign beef, at a time when they were trying to sell to everybody else, they would think it was an ironic situation."
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Meanwhile, the UK's Ministry for Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF) continued to reassure the public, something which should never have happened according to an expert in biological risks and food safety who worked at MAFF throughout the BSE crisis.
Lack of transparency
The official, who asked not to be named, told BBC News: "The first thing is that you ask the right questions. What is the nature of the risk? How certain or uncertain are you about the risk? What more do we need to do to find out more about the risk? "The conclusion to all that should have been the risk of BSE passing to humans from what we know is probably low, but we know so little that we can give no reassurances at all." The scientist, who was consulted during the subsequent government inquiry, was also critical of that process and the 16-volume Phillips Report which followed in the year 2000. Christine Lord's son Andrew Black, 24, died of vCJD in 2007 It exonerated the government, and concluded that ministers had acted on the advice they had been given. But the scientist claims witnesses were rehearsed, officials were deliberately asked "unintelligent questions" and that the inquiry did nothing to show how the public was left unprotected. "It hasn't changed, it's got worse if anything, rather than better," he said."The Phillips inquiry didn't highlight the problem. It just obfuscated it by huge amounts of verbiage. It didn't achieve anything." Ms Lord added: "We feel there's been a lack of transparency and honesty. That culture of secrecy killed my son." A Downing Street spokesman said all petitions receive a response but would not comment further. The Department of Health said: "The measures successive governments have taken to reduce the risks of both primary vCJD infection and of person-to-person spread have led, since 2000, to a sustained fall in the number of UK cases of this devastating disease."
More on This Story Related Stories

vCJD death figures 'are massaged' 20 MARCH 2010, HAMPSHIRE 'Grant went to bed every night, expecting to die' 18 DECEMBER 2009, SCOTLAND Coroners 'reject plea over vCJD' 19 AUGUST 2009, HEALTH Mother brings vCJD campaign to NI 24 FEBRUARY 2009, NORTHERN IRELAND Fears raised over new vCJD wave 17 DECEMBER 2008, HEALTH MP wants answers over CJD death 15 JULY 2008, HAMPSHIRE Bid for answers over son's death 02 MAY 2008, HAMPSHIRE
Related Internet links

Justice for Andy Natural Environment Research Council Department of Health
Around the BBC

Variant CJD My lost boy
Monday 9th May 2011 Farms across the UK have been bought and then used secretly by the Government by MAFF (now DEFRA) to experiment on cattle and animals using BSE infected material. Crops are grown on this land, animal waste is spread back into this land, and people who live nearby have no idea of the lethal pathogens that are within a short distance of their homes, school, shops and daily lives.
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Experimental research was carried out at Drayton Farm in Warwickshire. Cattle and various animals were fed over several years BSE infected material. Scientists who were part of this research have contacted me and told me: In the SE1736 test, all the 1g infected cattle died, either as part of random sampling or euthanasia because of symptoms. Surprisingly, 2 of the 100g exposed animals survived beyond the end of the experiment.. The animals were probably euthanased at the end of the trial, but we were told that they did not develop the symptoms of BSE. Whether they were carriers or just resistant will probably never be known. A great scientific opportunity missed? All cows are MM so incubation periods would not differ because of genetics but they did due to the dose given to the cattle. This proves that in cattle its not about genetic makeup simply the amount of toxic material ingested. So what was so unusual about the cows that survived the experiment without displaying symptoms or becoming ill? Where is the data about these particular animals? Surely these creatures could hold the key why some people develop the human form of BSE and others dont? Once again DEFRA and the UK Government choose to only look and produce research papers that will shore up government policy, reassure the public whilst the truth remains behind closed doors. All of the scientists and researchers involved at Drayton Farm knew about animals and cattle that did not succumb to BSE despite being fed toxic amounts of the material. The Department of Health here in the UK are aware of human silent carriers blood donors who remain well but are implicated in passing on vCJD to patients who have since died of the disease. What is the connection between these silent human carriers? and the cows at Drayton Farm that did not develop BSE? When is the public going to be told the truth about BSE and its lethal pathogen vCJD? Below is a letter to a concerned member of the public from Dr Helen Compton one of the experts involved in Drayton Farm this scientist had research papers published about her findings at the farm. Its curious how Dr Compton denies any knowledge that some cattle survived the experiment. This was common knowledge amongst all the academics, scientists and researchers that were involved at Drayton Farm. They all knew the higher the dose the shorter the incubation period. It was a striking fact that some cattle survived to the end of the experiment and was the gossip of the scientific community. The study was a Timed kill experiment to generate materials for test development (states Dr Helen Compton Animal Health and Vet Lab Agency) What does this mean and where has this material gone and what is it being used for now? Porton Down in the south of England has been experimenting with TSEs and BSE for some time...did some of the materials from Drayton Farm go to Porton Down? Drayton Farm is now closed but the rogue prions that cause BSE and its lethal human pathogen vCJD cannot easily be destroyed remaining virtually indestructible, what about wildlife, birds, insects and other animals who will stray onto this farm, make their homes in the trees and grass of the fields surrounding Drayton Farm? With this blog is a photo of vCJD victims Kate Richer who died aged 22, she was a talented student at Glasgow University and lived in the South of England. Kate and her family use to spend their holidays at a farm, with Kate helping the farmer milk his cows
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Tuesday 3rd May 2011 Below is a letter I have written to Novartis who took over The Welcome Foundations portfolio of childhood vaccines polio, tetanus, diphtheria in 1991. I have asked and written repeatedly to this company asking for a confirmation or denial that bovine and/or human material were used in the processing of their vaccines. This is a clear request and affects everyone in the UK and globally who has received these vaccines. Below is the reply from Novartiswhat is the problem with giving straight answers to my questions. It is known that pharmaceutical herds used to make medicines also contracted BSE. Below my letter is an answer from the company Lawyers, it would appear that Dr Worth is unable or reluctant to answer my questions and now legal expert have come on board. What are these big drug companies Welcome, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis hidingwhy the intrigue and reluctance to divulge and answer my simple request? Ms Christine Lord Southsea Portsmouth Hants www.justice4andy.com 15th April 2011 Dear Dr Chris Worth, Andrew Black died vCJD aged 24, 16th December 2007. With reference to your letter of 5th April 2011 in which you have only given me the barest details and partial information regarding your companies manufacture and archived material for diphtheria, tetanus and oral polio vaccines. Despite my full and concise and simple requests. Oral Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria I have requested repeatedly in several letters to yourself and Novartis for information regarding these vaccines. Yet once again I receive correspondence from you on behalf of Novartis giving me no clear answers and refusing to acknowledge the questions I have asked. You state that we really do not see how we can assist your further. I understand that Novartis took over and purchased a portfolio of Human Vaccine products from the Wellcome Foundation in 1991. I have been advised by senior researchers that materials used, sources, ingredients and contents of all these vaccines are archived with you, as part of that purchasing process. This is corporate policy and also the need to protect the construction of the vaccines and its processing. I will repeat my requests which I have sent to you on several occasions. Did vaccines supplied by your company Novartis, past and present companies owned by yourselves, including those you have gained from Wellcome ever contain or use fetal calf serum, bovine material and/or human material? This is information that you have to hand. Dr Stephen Beaton Senior Clinical Medical Officer Health Protection Agency told me in a recorded interview that We used bovine material from UK herds including calf serum to make vaccines as it was cheap and we had a vast pool of this material. Professor John Collinge told me during an interview for BBC1 that fetal calve serum was used to make human and childhood vaccines. He added and of course human material is used from blood donations to process and produce vaccines. I have received extensive and full information from other drug companies which produced vaccines at the same time as Novartis. I ask you once again can you confirm or deny that Novartis, its former companies, subsidiaries, off shoots and the portfolio of vaccines purchased from The Wellcome Foundation did they ever use bovine material, fetal calve serum and/or human material in the manufacture, processing or any part of the production of the vaccines you and Welcome produced during the 1980s, 1990s and into 2000. ? I would like a straight confirmation or denial. From yourselves or legal team. Millions of children were vaccinated during this time and I request this information not just because of my sons untimely death but also on behalf of the millions of families across the UK and globally who agreed that their children should have these vaccines. There is no need to have batch numbers to retrieve this information as bovine and human materials were used for all of the vaccines produced not just my Andrews. I just need your confirmation or denial of this fact. The information I request has no bearing on batch numbers as I am asking what the vaccines contained and were produced from and with, these questions can be answered simply by accessing your archives and records, which I understand from scientists involved in the production of vaccines go back to the 1950s and beyond.
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I finally await the answers to my questions and feel this is totally wrong that a bereaved mother has to keep writing and asking questions which have simple answers but is being blocked continually by cleverly crafted and manipulated prose. Yours sincerely, Christine Lord
Thursday 28th April 2011 I like to congratulate Annie on her wonderful success, I know it doesnt heal the heartbreak of loosing her daughter to vCJD but Claire would be very proud of her mum. Best wishes from all at www.justice4andy.com Christine x Monday, April 18, 2011, 08:20
Mother takes law degree to help in CJD legal battle

When her teenage daughter died from a degenerative brain disease, Annie McVey channelled her grief into studying law to help mount a legal battle for compensation. The 53-year-old has now graduated from the Open University with a Bachelor of Law honours degree. Ms McVey dedicated the degree to the memory of her daughter Claire, who was just 15 when she died from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), the human form of the mad cow disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). She said studying law was something her daughter may well have gone on to do had she lived. Claire had been interested in law and she might well have gone on to study it herself if she had the chance, said Ms McVey, from Kentisbury Ford, near Barnstaple. Shes a terrible loss to the family, it should have been us going to her graduation ceremony. Claire, who died in 2000, was one of only 177 known victims of the terrible disease worldwide. Her death plunged her mother and other victims families into a long battle for compensation over the links between vCJD and eating beef from cattle infected with BSE. She began her studies with the Open University in 2004, despite suffering from debilitating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When Claire died, we were thrown into this political and legal melee, but it wasnt a legal system that I recognised, she said. There was this yawning gap between the pure sense of justice that most of us have, and the legal system I was suddenly involved in.
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I felt I needed to understand it. Ms McVey is disabled and the Open University was able to support her in her studies, allowing her to take exams at home and giving her extended deadlines on coursework. She said working on the degree really focused her efforts. My health has actually improved while I was doing the course, and I think a large part of that is the discipline of the OU and having to meet deadlines, she said. It was also a good distraction and I met some fantastic people. It also made me more argumentative and more determined. Last year Ms McVey and other families took their case to the High Court over what they claimed was a flawed Government compensation scheme. But their challenge and a subsequent Court of Appeal action failed. She now plans to become a qualified legal executive, and hopes to go on to take a Masters degree in Medical Ethics. Ms McVey has become an inspiration to the rest of her family, who are now continuing their education. My partner Wayne and other members of the family are now following my example and studying with the OU. Tuesday 19th April 2011 VACCINES As many readers of this blog will know I continue to investigate not only those Ministers and officials responsible for BSE/vCJD. I am also relentlessly pursing the possible sources of my Andrews infection. The truth is out there but my investigations and research is being blocked and hidden by Whitehall, DOH and the minions that are desperately trying to keep the lid on a can of worms. One area which continues to alarm and cause me a great deal of concern is vaccines and medicines sourced, produced or manufactured using cattle and human material. Below is part of a letter I received from Dr Lisa Moore-Ramdin on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline. This company merged with Wellcome and produced vaccines for babies, children, teenagers and adults during the 1980s and 1990s. GlaxoSmithKline sold its portfolio of vaccines onwards to Evans now known as Novartis, This winding path and trail has initially hampered my investigations, but I remain determined and am uncovering a great deal. We can see from Dr Moore-Ramdins statement,(below) that polio, tetanus and diphtheria vaccines had bovine, primate and human material used during the process and manufacturing of these immunisations. These materials were being used throughout and during the height of BSE. It is commonly known that pharmaceutical UK herds used for the sourcing of medicines including vaccines succumbed to BSE. This cannot rule out BSE contamination of vaccines through bovine material. I am also concerned about the use of primates and human material. Both primates and humans have transmitted vCJD intravenously to others. December 16th, 2010 (letter from GalxoSmithKline page 2) GlaxoSmithKline UK Ltd Stockley Park Uxbridge Middlessex UB11 1BT
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In 2000 five people in Eastleigh, near Southampton UK developed vCJD within weeks of each other. Two of these victims were young men who received oral polio vaccines in late September 1994 at educational establishments. These vaccines were produced by Evans, now Novartis. Just a few years later a further four people including my Andrew would die of vCJD within 20 miles of Eastleigh, this brings the numbers of victims of vCJD within a small area to nine. The Edinburgh CJD unit and UK Department of Health refuse to link these all these cases and will not call it a cluster of 9. Some of these victims attended the same schools and would have received vaccines from similar or if not the same batches during NHS immunisation programmes. The nine victims would have at some time shared the same services from the local health authorities and also from educational establishments. One of the victims from the Southampton cluster was Stephen Babey who died aged 25, his mum a former nurse said Steven was a student at the sixth form College Barton Peverill near Eastleigh Jean Babbey believed her son was one of the two young people who had the died of vCJD after receiving the polio vaccine in late 1994. She told the media that she had too many unanswered questions because the Department of Health refused to divulge any information. Jean Babey had no idea what the batch number was and the corresponding one given to the other victim. The Department Of Health kept all details top secretwhy? The only information the press managed to find out about the two victims was that one of them was a school leaver and the other at a further education establishment. Both of these vCJD victims would have received polio vaccines which had been endorsed as safe and allowed by the UK Department of Health, its Ministers and Officials, as part of its programme to immunise young people. (see Kenneth Calman, Kenneth Clarke profiles) At the time of these young mens untimely deaths, Professor Smith told the media The Department of Health would have to answer for the fact that cow serum vaccine continued to be used after a ban had be recommended. Yet nothing happened to those Ministers involved, those culpable have (so far) never been made criminally accountable. Despite BSE killing thousands of UK cattle, vaccines in the 1980s and1990s were being administered which had been sourced, processed using bovine, primate and human material. These were used on our most vulnerable and precious our families, babies, infants, children and teenagers. Despite the UK Government agreeing that this was not a safe practice. Many older vaccines continued to be used for years until their expiry date. The drug companies involved also provided vaccines for our armed forces, health care workers and many members of the services and health professionals have succumbed to vCJD. During the 1980s and 1990s when my Andrew received his polio vaccination it consisted of two drops of oral vaccine on a sugar lump or administered straight into the mouth, though it was available in injectable form which other countries had adopted. Dr Stephen Beaton Medical Officer UK Health Protection Agency in recorded interview with me early this year said : Throughout that time the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s we used UK bovine material for vaccines as we had a huge pool of this very cheap material. UK Daily Mails, Sean Poulter, reporting on the Eastleigh deaths and vaccine connection, found : The vaccine in these cases was made from weakened strains of the virus with the blood of calf foetuses used to help it grow in the lab. Continuing The vaccine was made by Wellcome now part of the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmtihkline, at laboratories in Bromley, Kent in the 1980s' My Andrew received his booster vaccinations of polio, diphtheria and tetanus in 1983, 1984, and 1987. He had his BCG in 1997 manufactured and produced by Evans/Novartis. Vaccines can have a shelf life of several years. The drug companies that produced and manufactured the same vaccines that Stephen Babey and my Andrew received were administered to millions of tiny babys, infants, children and teenagers at schools, across the UK. Some were also exported. These companies also had a history of scandal.. Sunday October 22nd, 2000 The UK Observer The Drug factory at the centre of the polio vaccine scandal has a history of contamination and production blunders, raising fears that its vaccines against other diseases are unsafe. On Friday the Department of Health was forced to recall Medevas oral polio vaccine after it was discovered that the firm had potentially been using BSE infected material.
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(MEDEVAvaccineplantSpekeMerseyside,brandnameissuedtotheNHSasEvansnowNovartis) The troubled factory in Merseyside changed hands twice in one year) My Andrew received his BCG vaccination in 1997 from a vial that was one of 14,083 this immunisation was made by Evans now Novartis, Andrews BCG vaccine was produced at Gaskill Road, Speke the same factory which was involved in the contamination scandal. Batch number E61354A, full details of the other 14,083 vials exist and are archived, including sourced material used, ingredients. Flu and yellow fever vaccines were also produced at the Speke, factory. There has been a recent case of vCJD in Brazil and this is a country where vaccines from the UK were exported. Another recent case of vCJD involved an individual from the Middle East once again UK vaccines had been exported to this region. Why is there so much secrecy surrounding vaccines, why am I continually blocked in my investigations? Why cant I get a straight answer to simple honest questions? What did kill my son? What killed those young men from Eastleigh? What is the real source of the infection? What is Whitehall and the Department of Health keeping secret? Who and what are they also protecting? CERTAINLY NOT PUBLIC HEALTH OR OUR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES! Thursday 14th April 2011 My daughter Emma has just celebrated her 21st Brithday, here is a photo of my beautiful girl taken in her flat in London. We spent a quiet meal together with her friends. I bought Emma a Victorian pearl and ruby ring which she will be able to pass onwards to her children. Whenever there is a happy event, celebration, family birthday or event the day remains muted by the everyday longing for my son. My daughter is the sunshine during the darkest days and my Andrew guides me through this stony path. My children mean the world to me..I have a daughter and son of whom I remain very proud. What will survive of us is lovePhillip Larkin.
Friday 8th April 2011 The Tyrell Committee was set up in 1988, its significant role was to advise the UK Government regarding BSE and its consequences. The ordinary man and woman in the street would also have assumed the Tyrell Committee was put together to protect the UK populations health, to prevent humans from contracting BSE via infected bovine material in the human food and medicine chain. This could not have been further from the truth the committee was set up to pay lip service to an increasingly worried public but its main role was to help the UK Government hide, protect and conceal. The published Tyrell Report and recommendations were then used by the Government to enable BSE infected material continual use into the food and medicine chain for at least another ten years. The members of the Tyrell Committee put their names, reputations and scientific expertise on the line and readily condoned the deaths and probable deaths of many people. This was to protect the beef, agriculture and pharmaceutical industry and its huge profits. The committee members were schooled and told where their loyalties should lie, the Tyrell Report was never about human health it was always about political expedience and committee members upwardly mobile career paths. The Committee was set up and run by the very people, who it was investigating and individuals who sat on this group had already withheld evidence from the public about BSE and its lethal consequences to human health. Members included Dr William Watson who with Ray Bradley (see confidential memo below) hid and kept secret the first cases of BSE in cattle from the early 1980s. Watson and Bradley put their careers and livelihoods before the whole of the populations health and safety. By appointing Watson to the elevated position as a member of the Tyrell Committee the UK government knew BSE and it lethal threat to human health would remain mostly concealed and the lies continued. Professor Will now promoted as head of the Edinburgh CJD Surveillance Centre was also a leading member of the committee. In 1966 primates were infected with cjd after inoculation with cjd brain material, it was known widely from published papers throughout the scientific community that TSEs including BSE were transmissible and infectious. Below are the findings of Will, Pickles, Watson and other members of the committee in which they readily agree to an experiment over two
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decades to see how many people would die or succumb to the human form of BSE. The members of the committee were well rewarded for their complicity with Will, Pickles and Watson all receiving promotions and financially secure lifestyles. The Tyrell Report stated: Manyextensiveepidemiologicalstudiesaroundtheworldhavecontributedtothecurrentconsensusthatscrapieisnotcausallylinkedto cjd. This statement is untrue on two matters, all research into BSE especially any that implicated humans was kept in-house. The Ministry of Agriculture (MAFF) owned all the diseased cattle and continually refused outside help from other countries. Research outside the UK was incomplete hampered by lack of BSE material and with a very unclear picture of what was really happening on UK farms. Any outside scientists allowed access were cherry picked and adhered strictly to UK government policy. The recommendations of the Tyrell report were managed by MAFF and UK Government, with the agreement and sanction of Will, Pickles and Watson who put their names to the recommendations and backed these lies and cover ups and experimentation with human health. The Tyrell Report continued: It is urgent that the same reassurance can be given about the lack of effect of BSE on human health. THE BEST WAY OF DOING THIS IS TO MONITOR ALL UK CASES OF CJD OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES. As a mother who has lost her only son to vCJD I find this report and its wording appalling, criminal and a total scandal. Professor Will who meets monitors and visits victims dying of vCJD, put forward this recommendation to conduct the biggest human experiment to see how many people die of vCJD. How is this the view and findings of honourable scientists? In truth Professor Bob Will who knew of my Andrew and has talked to me on many occasions, Dr Hillary Pickles and Dr William Watson condemned my Andrew and all victims of vCJD to death: in order to find out just how many people would die and how big a problem BSE would pose to human health How dare these people still retain their jobs, careers and livelihoods and how dare these people put themselves up as honourable men and women. How can they sleep easy at night? The Tyrell Report committee members who willingly put their names to the report and allowed the publication and recommendations of their findings to be carried out by the UK Government during the 1980s should hang their heads in shame. I remain shocked to the core that so many members of the establishment, the Department of Health and those that could have prevented the deaths of hundreds, disablement of thousands and exposure of millions, continue to profit from their lies and wrongdoing. These men and women are morally bankrupt and yet many did and still do hold position of influence that enable them to make life and death decisions that affect the public, affect me and you and our families.. I will continue to hound, expose and investigate those responsible and one day soon justice, truth and criminal proceedings will prevail
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Sunday 3rd April 2011 The fourth mothers days without my Andrew, without his smile, his voice Without being to hold him in my arms.. The everyday longing for my son..never stops
Thursday 31st March 2011 Jane Allender (1988) and Jenny Halford (1990) died of CJD after receiving hormones to induce fertility. These hormones were taken from human pituitary glands from patients who had died of CJD. These lovely mums left four bereft children who had been born due to the treatment which also killed their mums. Jane and Jenny died horrifically, in pain and torment. Their children received little help or practical assistance from the authorities. Incubation periods for developing the disease can be decades at least 90 other mums to be were exposed to the same batch of contaminated hormones. The Canadian study below highlights how important it is to screen the blood of anyone who is giving their blood, tissues, sperm, eggs, bones or any human material for transplant or donation. It appears that there continues to be a risk of prion disease from urine derived injectible fertility treatments. Many medications that are in circulation in 2011 continue to be derived from human or bovine material and are therefore at risk of being contaminated with CJD. When I attended the SABTO (safety of blood tissues and organs) meeting at the Oxo Tower, Central London two years ago, there were many consultants present who expressed their concern over sperm/egg donation and transmission of vCJD. These experts in fertility also discussed their grave misgivings over medications used in the induction of fertility. In June 2010 a man in his 40s from the north of England died of CJD after receiving growth hormones. This victim had his last growth hormone injection administered when he was 18 in 198722 years before he died. This victim was MV genotype. We have the technology for a blood screening test for vCJD and yet the Conservative led government continues to prevaricate and in doing so condemn more innocent people to die horrifically of cjd. http://www.prionetcanada.ca/detail.aspx?menu=12&dt=293717&app=70&cat1=211&tp=12&lk=no
Canadian Study Shows Risk of Prion Disease from Urine-Derived, Injectable Fertility Products
Internationally-published report highlights risk of prion proteins in urinary-derived pharmaceuticals March 24, 2011 (Vancouver, BC) Women who are injected with urine-derived fertility products may be at risk of developing prion disease, according to a just-released study by an international research team from Canada, France and the United States. The study, published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE, for the first time documents the presence of prion protein in urinaryderived fertility products. Prion protein is naturally found in the human body in a harmless form, but is the major constituent of infectious prions in an aggregated misfolded form. Prions are the infectious agents responsible for such transmissible and fatal neurodegenerative diseases as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, in cattle. More than 300,000 women in Canada and the United States each year are prescribed gonadotropins (fertility hormones), including those that are urine-derived. Although CJD has never been reported in a recipient of urine-derived fertility hormones, the study, which looked at dozens of urine-derived drug samples from various pharmaceutical companies and batches, demonstrated a previously unrecognized risk of contamination with infectious prions. Transmission of human prion disease can occur through blood transfusion as well as through medical or surgical procedures, including injection of hormones such as gonadotropins historically extracted from cadaver pituitary glands. In some cases, prions can incubate in humans for decades when transmitted by medical or surgical procedures. While urine donors are screened for symptomatic neurological disease, a lengthy symptom-free incubation period for prion disease, during which the urine of affected donors may be infectious, is impossible to exclude without invasive testing, said Dr. Neil Cashman, Scientific Director of PrioNet Canada and Canada Research Chair in Neurodegeneration and Protein Misfolding Diseases at the University of British Columbia, who authored the paper with Dr. Daniel Krewski, Director of the R. Samuel McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment at the University of Ottawa. According to Dr. Cashman, disorders such as CJD suffered by roughly one in 10,000 people typically develop in the 60 to 70 year-old age group. With urine donations tending to come from older women, the risk of transmission of infectious prions may increase, he said. Unlike the blood-donor system, current urine-collection systems pool the urine of thousands of donors, so individual donors cannot be traced. PrioNet Canadas mission is to help manage the risks of prion diseases to Canadians, and society at large, said Dr. Cashman. By participating in this international research study, we are fulfilling our objectives.
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Based on the information we now have including the detection of prions in urine of experimental animals, the relative ease of human-tohuman transmission, the risk of prion infection through fertility drug injections, and the young age of fertility drug recipients it is important to consider whether the risks of these products may now outweigh their benefits, Dr. Cashman emphasized, adding that the extent of the risk is at this point difficult to determine and further scientific study is required. According to Dr. Krewski: Risk management paradigms are shifting towards more proactive, rather than reactive, approaches that are intended to help regulatory systems anticipate and prevent risks to population health. Careful examination of the risk of transmission of human prion disease in pharmaceuticals is now warranted, Dr. Krewski said, explaining that the study results indicate a need for better screening and tracking of prion diseases related to donor-derived pharmaceuticals. Further investigation into the use of synthetic substitutes that can achieve the same therapeutic results and the extent of prion contamination of urine-derived products, is also needed, he added. Background This paper was a result of research into the risk of prion disease transmission led by Dr. Neil Cashman, Scientific Director of PrioNet Canada and Canada Research Chair in Neurodegeneration and Protein Misfolding Diseases at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Daniel Krewski, Director of the R. Samuel McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Chair in Risk Science at the University of Ottawa, collaborated in the study, examining the risk management implications of the study results. Dr. Alain Van Dorsselaer, CNRS Research Director at Strasbourg University and Director of the Analytical Sciences Department at the Hubert Curien Institute in France, applied proteomic techniques to document the presence of prion protein in urine-derived fertility drugs. About PrioNet Canada (www.prionetcanada.ca) PrioNet Canada is a national network that capitalizes on fundamental, applied, and social research to develop strategies to help solve the food, health safety, and socioeconomic problems associated with prion diseases. The network brings together academia, industry, and public sector partners through its multidisciplinary research projects, training programs, events, and knowledge translation activities. One of Canadas Networks of Centres of Excellence, PrioNet Canada is hosted by the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute in Vancouver. Monday 28th March 2011 With the emergence of blood screening tests for vCJD it will also herald treatments and cures. See details of just one of the latest research projects below. Treatments and medication for vCJD will have benefits for all prion disease and of course dementia type illnesses. When the HIV test was first implemented to screen donated blood, prognosis and outlook for patients who were HIV positive was extremely poor. Within a short time of the HIV test being implemented researchers, drug companies and scientists were being funded to pursue treatments and medication to halt the development of AIDS. Many patients suffering from HIV in 2011 now live long and good quality lives, because of this medication. I am hopeful once the implementation of a blood screening test for vCJD is put in place to screen the UK blood supply and to test those who may be a risk to others for example hospital patients due to have invasive medical procedures, that treatments and medication will become widely available for vCJD patients and all forms of prion disease. A blood screening test for vCJD is essential in steming the flow of further and future deaths of vCJD, its also imperative we stop silent carriers of vCJD from donating blood and infecting others. These silent carriers could also hold the answer to treatments and a cure for vCJD. The blood screening test for vCJD must be implemented ASAP we have the technology to roll out this screening test today Yet the UK Government and the Department of Health are more interested in protecting their ministers, officials and back than protecting families across the UK. Each day that passes means more unnecessary deaths due to vCJD http://www.nature.com/nsmb/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nsmb.2031.html Article: How protein folding could cure Alzheimer, Parkinson diseases Monday - Mar 21, 2011, 03:18pm (GMT+5.5) Read more: http://www.indiavision.com/news/article/scitech/168914/#ixzz1HGIFAtNP London - It is believed that when vital proteins are misfolded in your body, neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson, and Creutzfeld-Jakob disease occur. While there are currently no cures for these conditions, biologists at Brown University researchers have reported that cells can fix the problems themselves with only a little bit of help. The insight suggested that there are more opportunities to develop a therapy for protein misfolding than scientists had thought. "There are multiple steps that you could target," said lead author Susanne DiSalvo. Until now most scientists guessed that the only way to stop the runaway misfolding was right at the beginning and assumed the mutants must be blocking that first step to keep the protein in a harmless form. "That's one of the biggest outcomes of Susanne's work: that if you just even slightly interfere with this process, the cell can deal with it and get rid of it," said Tricia Serio, associate professor of medical science, who led the research team. "The dogma in the field is that these conformations were so abnormal the cell couldn't resolve them. But what we've found is that this process of misfolding is so efficient the cells can't keep up with it. If you make it even just a little bit less efficient the cell can get rid of the pathological state."
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One mutant prion, Q24R, hinders the ability of misfolded proteins to aggregate into harmful clumps. It's like a dryer sheet that cuts down on static cling and makes it easier to fold laundry. Another helpful mutant prion known as G58D, assists the cell by speeding up its ability to unfold and refold misfolded proteins. That's more like a friend who helps untangle strings of holiday lights when they come out of storage. DiSalvo's experiments showed how the mutants and cells work together. Cells would only be cured when she both added a mutant and allowed the cells' own quality assurance system to work. Adding the mutant G58D, for example, could cure a cell of infection by the Sup35 prion, but if she perturbed the cell's quality assurance system then G58D would not work. The study has been published in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. Monday 21st March 2011 VCJD Clusters and coincidences? Many of the young victims of vCJD are a similar age, some share the same birthday months and some were even born on the same day. There appears to be a clustering of individuals roughly the same age, who also became sick around the same time of year, winter months and Christmas is usually cited by families as when symptoms first became apparent. Many of these younger victims would have started their education the same time, several attended the same schools, some even lived in the same street, I have visited these families and talked to them at length. Yet with all these co incidences the UK government has not been able to find a link? Two young men received oral polio vaccines from the same batch roughly the same time at educational facilities within a few miles of each other, these young guys died within weeks of each other of vCJD. . Many of the victims would have been babies, infants at the same time and shared similar lifestyle, medical and food choices. These include commercially prepared baby food, formula milk, school meals, medicines and vaccines. Although some victims may have died several years apart, I have discovered if they had lived they would have all been roughly the same age. This points at a common source of infection with perhaps some victims ingesting more infected material so incubation periods are shorter. Baby Food and school meals have been quoted by experts from the CJD/Prion unit as a likely source of vCJD infection. During my extensive investigations I have found that many victims never ate commercially prepared baby food and/or school meals. Some victims through religious and cultural beliefs were strict vegetarians. These include Sikhs and Hindus, one lady didnt even eat cheese gelatin or any part of the cowand yet these people still died of vCJD? The odds of these victims eating one stray burger or a total vegetarian eating one yoghurt or contaminated food product infected with sufficient rogue prions to develop vCJD is astronomical.. My Andrew hardly ate beef and from the age of 6 years old all beef and beef products were banned from my home and my family never touched any of these products again during Andrews childhood, and yet he still developed vCJD. My Andrew was a very fussy eater and even when he was dying he asked a friend who was cooking for us Dont use beef because of mad cows disease.the terrible irony makes me weep. When he visited friends houses he would refuse anything that looked like meat or beef so the actual odds of him eating a stray burger during his childhood and teenage years is also astronomical... My daughter Emma who was born in 1990 told me I can never remember us ever eating or having beef or beef products in our home or ever eating these products outside the home. When my children attended birthday parties or outside events they never wanted to eat or consume these products either. So how did my Andrew become infected with vCJD? What is Whitehall keeping secret..? What important piece of the picture is being withheld from us? What made my Andrew develop vCJD and the boy next to him at school didnt?, why havent siblings and other family members not succumbed to vCJD? There is one case in Spain where a pensioner and her 40 year old son died within a year of each other from vCJD. This case could hold lots of answers but once again publication of papers and information about this mother and son are not transparent or fully in the public domain..why? Perhaps younger vCJD victims succumbed to a variety of sources of infection?. Some baby food, some school meals and some vaccines? But I have been assured by experts that what killed my son and all victims of vCJD was a hugely toxic dose of BSE infected material.. a stray burger.didnt kill my Andrew.or the other victims. When Andrew was initially diagnosed with vCJD his Consultant at Southampton General Hospital Mr Monaghan told me very angrily: A stray burger didnt cause this ( Andrew developing vCJD) when I suggested another source such as vaccines, .there was a deathly silence in the room which contained another consultant, registrar, doctor and two nurses. When I asked if a stray burger didnt cause my Andrew to develop vCJD and asked Mr Monaghan What did?. There was another long silence..there was a definite sense of the medical team knowing more about how my Andrew had become infected than they were admitting to me. I felt like they knew a lot more than they were telling meand was told again that a stray burger could not possibly have caused him to develop vCJD and the damage that was occurring to Andrews brain. At the time of diagnosis Mr Monaghan did not know that as a family we had not eaten beef for decades so his comments were not influenced, they were I believe an honest, professional and expert opinion. Andrew hadnt eaten beef or burgers for over 14 years so if a stray burger is not the source of vCJD what is? Since my Andrews death Mr. Monaghan has moved to work in another country where he still practices as a Consultant Neurologist, I would say he was an honest man who really cared about my Andrew and was really angry at my sons avoidable dying. Lots of half truths and lies have been spun to the public and families of victims of vCJD about the source and route of the infection.this is to continually muddy the waters, pile on the already terrible guilt suffered by parents but also to take the heat off the real culprit and culprits Conflicting research and findings are encouraged by Whitehall to further confuse and take the focus away from the truth. One paper will say one stray meal can cause vCJD another baby food causes vCJD and yet another root fillings and going to the dentist may cause vCJDThese are then peddled into the media so the public become even more confused and unsure. I continue to uncover red herrings disregard them and focus on the path which is taking me ever nearer to the source of the infection and truth behind BSE and vCJD. At present much of my work is sensitive not only to its ongoing development but to the people who are helping
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me not only would their careers be in jeopardy so could their lives. I would like to share with you some of the many differing facts and research that has been pumped into the public arena to continue the mystery surrounding BSE/vCJD. Whilst there is manufactured uncertainty the truth can be blocked and sidelined So is this article and research below fact or fiction? Dr Desly has been rewarded for his findings by the UK Department of Health and now sits on the Oversight Committee. a prestigious UK CJD group deciding which scientists and medics receive blood samples from vCJD victims. (Including my Andrews). This committee can effectively block any outside companies or scientists developing medication or treatments by withholding these precious samples so validation cannot take place. Dr Desly has been brought into the fold of the UK Department of Health and within the firm grip of Whitehall and the UK Government. In a article dated 27th January 2005 Dr Desly a scientist researching BSE/vCJD told BBC1 To become infected (with vCJD) you would have to eat an enormous amount of brain material which is just not possible. His research using primates found A person would have to eat at least 1.5kg of neural (brain and spinal) tissue to be at risk of developing vCJD Dr Jean Philippe Desly conducted his research for the Commissariat an lEngerfie Astoronomique. So what or who do we believe? In the SE1736 test carried out secretly at a farm in the UK. Over many years cattle were fed BSE material. All the 1g infected cattle died, either as part of random sampling or euthanasia because of symptoms. Surprisingly, 2 of the 100g exposed animals survived beyond the end of the experiment. What happened to those 2 cows that didnt develop the disease and more crucially why did they survive to the end of the experiment? . Offtherecordscientistswhoworkedattheseexperimentalfarmshavetoldmethehigherthedoseofinfectedmaterialfedtocowsthe quicker the incubation period and the faster cattle died of BSE. Yet some cattle fed 100g of BSE material never developed any symptoms by the end of the experiment.Toomanyquestionsremain,toomuchsignificantdataisbeinghidden...toomuchconflictinginformationisbeing put into the public domain.....to confuse....and to conceal not reveal. This is deliberate and there has been a manufacturing of information and datatocontinuethemysterysurroundingBSE. Primates are our closest match for DNA, it was known in 1966 that if you fed monkeys with cjd material they became ill and died of cjd, but these primates had also cut, scratched and lacerated their hands with the infected material, this proved to be a much quicker and easier routetoinfectprimates. Yet in the 1980s and 1990s those named and shamed on this website allowed BSE into the human food and medicine chain, despite knowing the scientific findings of 1966. So what does Desly and SE1736 experiment prove? Significant findings and facts have been withheld or manipulated and kept from the public domain. Whilst half truths and findings that will muddy the waters are pumped out to an unsuspecting public in much the same way as facts/figures were distorted throughout BSE. What is a fact that during the SE1736 experiment and other experiments some cattle that were infected with BSE did not develop the disease? Why? Perhaps those cattle did not have abrasions in their mouths or on their bodies? What is a fact is what killed those BSE cows killed my Andrew and all victims of vCJD , the symptoms and chemical makeup of BSE exactly replicates vCJD in humans. I have witnessed cattle dying and infected with BSE and the symptoms are the same as my Andrew and all the other victims of vCJD who I have met, spoken too and spent time. Even different genotypes have the same and generalised symptoms of BSE infected cattle. Once you have met and seen a person even at the earliest stages of vCJD its unmistakable from any other disease. What is a fact is my son and all victims of vCJD where unlawfully killed by an acquired disease that could and should have been prevented by those ministers named on this website. They had a duty of care to the UK population including my son , but Kenneth Clarke, John Gummer and those listed put their careers and allegiance with the beef and drug companies instead of protecting the UK public health and well being. The Guardian magazine in 2001 summed it up..: "BSE IS PROBABLY THE MOST CYNICAL ACT OF BIOLOGICAL WARFARE EVER WAGED AGAINST A CIVILIAN POPULATION BY A WESTERN GOVERNMENT, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT PUT THE NARROW MINDED BUSINESS INTERESTS OF ITS FARMING AND MEAT INDUSTRIES BEFORE THE HEALTH OF ITS OWN POPULATION" Experts in prion disease employed by the Department of Health declare that BSE material was in virtually everything we ate during the 1980s and 1990s and probably beyondand yet so far millions havent succumbed to the deadly disease which killed my only son.(though millions of us could be silently carrying the disease) This points at a specific source of infection to which my son Andrew and other victims past present and unfortunately those to come have been exposed. Is there something that was different from my son and the other victims of vCJD which made them more vulnerable? Apparently not all tests conducted on my Andrew came back healthy and normal, his heart, lungs, liver and all other major organs apart from his brain were healthy and disease free.. According to all the experts I have quizzed on this matter including Professor John Collinge University College London Andrew was a fit healthy young manno different from any other fit healthy young guy in his early twenties living in the UK. So why did Andrew develop Vcjdwhat huge toxicity was he exposed to that would kill him so horrifically? And why was this allowed for over 14 years into the human food and medicine chain? I was asked if my family had any dementia or related neurological illnesses and can state that none of my or Andrews relatives have died or developed any neuro or dementia type illnesses so there was and is no susceptibility. Also my Andrew never had any blood transfusions, dentistry, operations, not even a stitch for a wound or a cut he was a totally fit young man. He also never ate beef or beef products from the
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age of 6 and throughout his childhood and teenage years. The same experts that tell us that every one over 14 has eaten at least 50 BSE infected meals also declare How difficult it is to infect animals orally with BSE Once again we have the conflicting press articles, scientific papersused to conceal not reveal. Theoretically its more difficult to become infected via food than it is intravenously such as vaccines or blood products, through wounds or cuts. Transmitting the rogue prions that cause vCJD is much easier through blood or intravenous drugs. Why havent other family members including a twin contracted and died of vCJD? There is only one case officially recognised of a mother and son dying within months of each other in Spainfrom vCJD..this has never been fully or publicly explored or explained. Apparently the villagers where this Mother and Son lived regularly ate cows brains as a local delicacybut the whole village and area would have indulged in this practiceand yet so far these are the only local cases of vCJD? What about the Spanish pathologist working with cjd who also developed vCJD, his Post Mortem, genotype and the route of his infection has also remained clothed in secrecy with just the bare minimum of details being published and these details are not complete or the full picture. . My research has shown a common thread which indicates why predominately young people have died and continue to die of vCJD. Because this group of society were exposed specifically to a common source.. Several top experts have told me they suspect a rogue batch of vaccines/medicines is the source of at least some of the younger victims of vCJD .. Babies, infants and younger children are probably more susceptible to BSE material What is also clear is that many of the older individuals who died of vCJD, had high risk jobs or lifestyles and either worked on farms, at abbatoirs, or worked as health care professionals, within catering, armed forces or jobs that would have given them access to frequent vaccines such as tetanus, polio, BCG, meningitis, flu and other inoculations. What is the Department of Health keeping from the public? What do they know about the exact source of the infection that has killed so many innocent people? And continues to kill! Why is so much information about BSE commercially sensitive, been shredded or is kept under lock and key and top secret? Why are the same drug companies that manufactured those suspected vaccines/medicines in the 1980s 1990s and beyondnow hold the purse strings regarding funding research into vCJD here in the UK? Why are many of the top and scientific experts in the UK manacled to these drug companies by this funding? So that any research they conduct into vCJD is overseen by the very people who developed these dodgy vaccines/medicines in the first place? Why are young people still dying of vCJD in 2011? If a stray burger didnt kill my Andrew what did? What really made my Andrew develop vCJD? What really killed my Andrew? .. I continue to uncover the truth and in the future all will be revealed. Tuesday 15th March 2011 A Canadian resident has been diagnosed with vCJD, it would appear the victim was exposed to BSE outside of Canada and never received a blood transfusion or blood products. This individual immigrated to Canada in 2010, was born in the Middle East and had limited history of traveling outside these two countries approximately 3 months. There have been previous cases of vCJD in individuals from the Middle East, many countries in this location have strong links with the UK, many UK nurses, medics and medical supplies are based and sent to Middle Eastern Hospitals. Vaccines made in the UK derived from BSE infected cattle and human albumen were exported to this region. I would challenge the stance that this person became infected before safety measures were implemented here in the UK, I would assume this paper is talking about the SBO ban in 1989 which stopped specified bovine offal apparently entering the human food and medicine chain. As some of the latest victims of vCJD were not even in the UK till after that time and with a rough incubation period of 10-11years.it would appear that victims who are developing the disease in the 21st century were probably according to prion experts and the UK DOH infected in the 1990s.and maybe much later.possibly late 1990s and beyond... If this victim is MM genotype it would appear that they were infected much laterwhich raises many concerns and significant health issues. How long was BSE infected material; allowed into the human food and medicine chain here in the UK and in our exports to the global community? When is the public going to be told the whole and real truth behind BSE and vCJD.how much longer can the UK government and its Whitehall minions keep these secrets? My thoughts are with this victim and their familyand to all our brothers and sisters in the Middle East , Canada and the 12 countries who have lost loved ones to vCJD. We are a global family and community and BSE continues to wreck lives and steal futures We must remain vigilant and continue with our cohesive alliance.the truth will be heard and there will be justice for all victims of vCJD and their families. Infectious Diseases News Brief - March 11, 2011 [Current Issue - Table of contents] Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in a Canadian resident Canadian Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System, National Microbiology
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Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada Working closely with Canadian clinical specialists, the Public Health Agency of Canada's Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance System (CJDSS) has identified a probable case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (variant CJD, also called vCJD) in a Canadian resident. The diagnosis is supported by several lines of clinical, paraclinical and laboratory evidence, in keeping with internationally accepted surveillance case definitions for human prion disease.(1, 2) This is the second case of variant CJD reported in Canada to date. The first such case occurred in 2002, in an individual who is believed to have contracted the disease outside of Canada.(3) As explained in more detail below, evidence to date strongly indicates that (i) the risk exposure in the second case also occurred outside Canada; (ii) there are no negative implications for the safety of the Canadian food supply; and (iii) the case poses no secondary risks to the health of Canadians. Variant CJD belongs to a group of rare, fatal degenerative brain disorders called prion diseases that affect humans and animals and can arise sporadically, genetically, or through infectious transmission.(4) Prion diseases are marked by brain tissue vacuolation (spongiform change), neuronal loss, and presence of a pathologically altered form of a host-encoded glycoprotein, PrP, that is considered to constitute the transmissible agent, or prion.(5) Among classic types of human prion disease, the most common and widespread is sporadic CJD, which occurs without an apparent infectious or genetic cause mostly in persons 50+ years of age and accounts for 80-90% of the remarkably uniform annual prion disease mortality of ~1-2 per million population.(6) Most of the remaining 10-20% of classic human prion diseases are caused by mutations in the PRNP gene that encodes PrP.(7) Fewer than 1% of classic cases of CJD are attributed to accidental transmission through surgical and medical pr ocedures such as dura mater grafts, and use of therapeutic hormone preparations that were derived from prion-contaminated cadaveric pituitary tissue.(8) Variant CJD is the only known zoonotic human prion disease, resulting from dietary exposure to a feedborne prion disease of cattle, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as "mad cow disease"), that emerged internationally in the 1980s and 1990s.(9) Most human exposure to BSE is thought to have occurred before regulatory controls were implemented to control BSE in animals and to eliminate the inclusion of high-risk bovine tissues in human food.(10) A small number of secondary cases of variant CJD have also been linked to transfusion of fresh blood components (erythrocytes) from pre-symptomatic donors who later developed the disease.(11) By October 2010, a total of 222 definite and probable variant CJD cases had been reported worldwide in residents of 12 countries.(12) The total numbers of clinical cases of variant CJD that will ultimately emerge remains uncertain, as does the frequency of long-term asymptomatic carriage during which apparently healthy individuals could transmit infection for example through blood donation or invasive medical procedures.(13) Importantly, based on extensive interviews with family members there is no indication that the current patient was ever a blood donor, received a blood transfusion, or underwent a surgical procedure that was not managed to prevent prion transmission as per the Public Health Agency of Canada's CJD Infection Control Guidelines.(14) This indicates the absence of secondary risks to the health of Canadians as a result of this case. Health Canada issued directives to Canadian blood operators in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005, requiring deferral of blood donors with a history of residence and/or travel in the United Kingdom (UK), France and Western Europe in the period 1980-1996, as well as other criteria including receipt of blood transfusion in the UK, and has committed to review these deferral policies if new scientific information becomes available. Canada has also reported a small number of cases of BSE,(15) and Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have implemented regulations to prevent both the transmission of BSE in animal populations and human exposure to it. Given (i) these protective measures, (ii) the observation that acquired prion diseases have long incubation periods (years to often a decade or more), and (iii) the fact that the current patient experienced onset of symptoms just prior to immigrating to Canada in early 2010, the possibility of BSE exposure in this country can essentially be ruled out as the cause of illness. The patient was born in the Middle East, and also resided in several other countries before arriving in Canada. Apart from a few visits totalling less than three months in duration, there was no history of travel to the UK or Europe. In Canada, all human prion diseases are both legally reportable at the provincial/territorial level and nationally notifiable, and despite their rarity the public health importance and economic impacts of these diseases have maintained a need for timely diagnosis, reporting, and surveillance. To help meet these requirements the CJDSS has conducted prospective national surveillance of human prion diseases continuously since 1998, and working collaboratively with a network of health professionals sponsors detailed diagnostic and epidemiologic investigation of any suspected case of human prion disease in Canada. Supporting laboratory services are provided for autopsy, neuropathologic examination, molecular genetics, and biochemical testing for 14-3-3 protein in cerebrospinal fluid. Test results are reported directly to referring health professionals, with CJDSS case files maintained centrally to facilitate diagnostic assessment and final case classification. Full patient enrolme nt with the CJDSS takes place with written informed consent. The CJDSS surveillance protocol has been approved by the Health Canada Research Ethics Board (Certificate REB-2009-0036), and by numerous REBs at collaborating healthcare institutions. For further information on human prion diseases, available services and how to access them, interested health professionals are invited to contact the CJDSS toll-free, at 1-888-489-2999 1-888-489-2999 . References 1.World Health Organization (WHO). WHO manual for surveillance of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies including variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. 2003. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2003/9241545887.pdf . 2.Heath CA, Cooper SA, Murray K et al. Validation of diagnostic criteria for variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Ann Neurol 2010;67(6):761-770. 3.Jansen GH, Voll CL, Robinson CA et al. First case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Canada. Can Commun Dis Rep 2003;29(13):117-120. 4.Aguzzi A, Calella AM. Prions: protein aggregation and infectious diseases. Physiol Rev 2009;89(4):1105-1152. 5.Prusiner SB. Prions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1998;95(23):13363-13383. 6.Ladogana A, Puopolo M, Croes EA et al. Mortality from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and related disorders in Europe, Australia, and Canada. Neurology 2005;64(9):1586-1591. 7.Kovacs GG, Puopolo M, Ladogana A et al. Genet ic prion disease: the EUROCJD experience. Hum Genet 2005;118(2):166-174. 8.Brown P, Brandel JP, Preece M et al. Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: The waning of an era. Neurology 2006;67(3):389-393. 9.Bradley R, Collee JG, Liberski PP. Variant CJD (vCJD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE): 10 and 20 years on: Part 1. Folia Neuropathol 2006;44(2):93-101. 10.Collee JG, Bradley R, Liberski PP. Variant CJD (vCJD) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE): 10 and 20 years on: Part 2. Folia Neuropathol 2006;44(2):102-110. 11.Lefrere JJ, Hewitt P. From mad cows to sensible blood transfusion: the risk of prion transmission by labile blood components in the United Kingdom and in France. Transfusion 2009;49(4):797-812. 12.European Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Network. vCJD cases worldwide. http://www.eurocjd.ed.ac.uk/surveillance%20data%204.htm. 13.de Marco MF, Linehan J, Gill ON et al. Large- scale immunohistochemical examination for lymphoreticular prion protein in tonsil specimens collected in Britain. J Pathol 2010;222(4):380-387. 14.Public Health Agency of Canada. Infection control guidelines: classic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Canada. Can Commun Dis Rep 2002;28S5:1-110. 15.Canadian Food Inspection Agency. BSE in North America. http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/disemala/bseesb/bseesbe.shtml http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ccdrw-rmtch/2011/ccdrw-rmtcs1011r-eng.php Thursday 10th March 2011 At 930pm on Saturday 5th March 2011 Jonathan Simms aged 26 from Belfast died of vCJD. Jonathan first became ill with vCJD when he was a talented young footballer in 2001. His devoted family fought a protracted legal battle for Jonathan to be treated with Penstosan Polysulphate (PPS) a controversial drug that is administered into the brain. Jonathan was treated with this drug for over 7 years and it does appear that PPS can slow down the progression of the disease. Due to the love, dedication of his affectionate family and their 24/7 care Jonathan remained alive for a further 7 years.
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Jonathan was a handsome, healthy young man before the onset of the disease, yet another young life and future has been taken by vCJD. Another mother and father, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends are grieving over the unlawfully killing of another innocent member of the public.. My thoughts and prayers are with Don his wife and family during this heartbreaking time. ___________ Belfast man with vCJD dies after long battle Jonathan Simms, a talented footballer, first became unwell in May 2001. Initially, doctors thought he had multiple sclerosis. But Jonathan's illness was later confirmed as vCJD. He was given just months to live. After a court battle, the family won the right to use the experimental drug pentosan polysulphate in January 2003. It had not previously been tested on human beings. At that time, his father, Don Simms said the decision to give their son the drug was a "calculated risk based on 20 years of science". The first symptoms that Jonathan suffered were that he became a little clumsy and had problems balancing - classic early signs of the prions that cause vCJD to damage the brain. Jonathan required intensive care in the latter stages of his illness. His family ran a campaign from their Highfield estate home for better treatment for victims. He died at his home in the Highfield estate in west Belfast. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12667709 Monday 7th March 2011 Grant Goodwin aged 30 years old from Scotland died of vCJD on 16th January 2009. Despite a death certificate stating this diagnosis, published papers in The Lancet regarding Grants death and dying of vCJD, the UK Government refuse to put Grant Goodwin down as a statistic on their official case list of definite/probable vCJD victims. Grants death and dying have been deleted from UK official records and statistics. Grant was the first officially recognised person to die of vCJD from the MV genotype( 52 percent of the UK population are this geneotype). His death due to vCJD heralded a new wave of victims and meant that even more people exposed to BSE material could die of vCJD. Below is a letter from Janet Sneddon Health Protection Team Edinburgh confirming the UK Department of Health and Whitehalls stance that Grant will never ever be recorded on the official statistics for vCJD. This international criteria does not seem to extend to using and obtaining copious amounts of Grants blood for research into vCJD. This international criteria I have found can be manipulated and used at will by various DOH medics to fit their scientific format and policy backed objectivity. Grant is not the only victim of vCJD who has not appeared on the UK official CJD statistics ..So just how many people have really died of vCJD? When are the UK public going to be told the real truth about BSE/Vcjd? AndthetruenumbersofpeoplethathavediedofthisUKmanmademanufactureddisease? Dear Mr Goodwin, Thank you for your further correspondence. I fully sympathise with your concerns, however the Scottish Government has clearly confirmed to you on a number of occasions that we are in no doubt that your son died as a result of vCJD infection. The fact that your son is not officially listed as a probable case is because the internationally agreed criteria for this diagnosis has not been met. I am very sorry I cannot give you the reply that you would like. Kind regards Janet Sneddon Health Protection Team 3ES, St Andrew's House Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG Thursday 3rd March 2011 Printed below are two research papers and extracts from other scientists findings and published work. The first paper discusses the fact that sporadic CJD may be caused by TSEs transmitted from animals. It significantly suggests that: In particular, some data indicate that one of the new atypical BSE agents[5], the L-BSE or BASE agent, may have a similar or higher zoonotic potential than the Classical BSE agent This means other more deadly strains of the BSE agent have been and are in circulation which could have infected many more people. Are different strains of the disease responsible for the rising numbers of people developing sporadic CJD? Are many cases of sporadic CJD and
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vCJD the same disease but presenting differently in the elderly or older adults? Many experts in prion disease/vCJD believe the tripling of cases of sporadic cjd in the UK and across the globe is not a coincidence and is to do with millions of individuals being exposed to BSE infected material in the food and medicine chain. The Second paper from Switzerland below examines dramatically rising levels of sporadic cjd in Switzerland over a number of years. The increase in cases cannot be fully explained but many Swiss Scientists have told me that they believe environmental issues such as BSE is to blame. BSE like any pathogen can and has mutated to other strains each one holding a potential death sentence to human health and life. Are these new strains responsible for young people still dying of vCJD in 2011 and/or responsible for the growing number of middle age and older people dying of sporadic CJD/dementia?. We face a worldwide epidemic of dementia and this experts assure me is not just age related. Or does the development of the disease within humans depend on a specific route ..orally or intravenous through medicines? One expert from Erasmus University stated Swiss CJD could have leapt to humans through the injection of vaccines or medicines produced using serum made from cows, suggests Cornelia van Duijn of the European collaborative group on CJD incidence at the Erasmus University Medical School in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Many other experts continue to discover links between the growing numbers of people with cjd and TSEs. The first paper urges the ongoing systematic monitoring and research into humans and animals regarding TSEs (transmissible spongiform encephalopathy) Yet the Conservative led Government are shutting down farms where animals were being tested/monitored for BSE, have raised the age when UK cattle are being tested for BSE and trying to reduce every piece of funding into areas such TSEs/ BSE and vCJD. Scientists have told me that factors such as route of infectioneither orally or intravenously plus age of individual victims all have an influence on how a patient presents with the disease both physically and within pathology at autopsy. There is a generalised pattern of symptoms for victims of vCJD but this can vary as I can testify having sat, talked filmed and interviewed numerous victims with differing genotypes of vCJD. This variety of ingestion and presentation also affects the pathology of brain material during autopsy. This has resulted in some patients with a dual diagnosis sporadic cjd with signs of vcjd. I have a data base of clusters of cases of both sporadic and vCJD, and there are just too many of them in the same area to be co incidental. environmental issues are playing a significant role in rising cases of scjd. .many of these cases must have been influenced or caused by the same source of BSE infected material. Before BSE sporadic cjd in the UK was just one in a million people in 2011 one person in 33,000 will now develop sporadic cjd. Finding the source of the disease has "got to be priority number one for Europe", said Cornelia van Duijn of the European collaborative group on CJD incidence at the Erasmus University Medical School in Rotterdam. Professor John Collinge told BBC1 Cases of sporadic cjd are rising and what is most worrying with much younger people developing the disease, is it because of better diagnosis? or as I suspect to do with BSE.
EFSA and ECDC review scientific evidence on possible links between TSEs in animals and humans
Webnachricht 19 January 2011 The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have published a joint opinion reviewing the latest available scientific information on possible links between Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)[1] in animals and humans. Current epidemiological and laboratory tools and methods for the evaluation of possible association of animal and human TSEs were also critically evaluated. In the opinion, EFSA and ECDC have undertaken the first comprehensive review of epidemiological and laboratory studies on possible links between TSEs in animals and humans at EU level. The opinion builds on previous work carried out by EFSA on the zoonotic potential of single TSE agents, as well as a considerable number of other scientific studies on prion diseases. The findings in the opinion confirm that at present the only TSE proven to be zoonotic (i.e. transmissible from animals to humans), remains Classical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), known in humans as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)[2]. Epidemiological evidence shows that the most common form of TSE in humans is sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). The cause of sporadic CJD remains uncertain[3]. While scientific research to date has not identified an environmental source of infection[4], the Panel could not exclude the possibility that a small number of cases could be zoonotic. Regarding Classical scrapie in goats and sheep, no epidemiological evidence suggests it is zoonotic; whereas for Atypical scrapie in sheep and goats, the scientific data currently available are too limited to conclude whether it has the potential to be zoonotic or not. For other TSEs, a number of uncertainties make it impossible at present to draw definite conclusions on possible links between animals and humans. One of the reasons for this is that data on the monitoring of TSEs in animals are too recent to be compared to the respective human data. The opinion therefore recommends that systematic monitoring of TSE diseases be continued in both humans and animals. In addition to epidemiological data, the scientists also evaluated evidence obtained from experimental transmission of TSEs in laboratory studies. The opinion states that the results of some of these studies suggest there might be a possibility of animal-to-human transfer for other TSEs, in addition to Classical BSE in cattle. In particular, some data indicate that one of the new atypical BSE agents[5], the L-BSE or BASE agent, may have a similar or higher zoonotic potential than the Classical BSE agent. The opinion however points out that at present it is not possible to define how informative these laboratory studies are for measuring the transfer of TSEs between animals and humans under real exposure conditions.
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This joint opinion of EFSA and ECDC provides an overview of the situation in relation to the zoonotic potential of TSEs and may support risk managers in their work on those TSEs which are of major concern for human health. For media enquiries, please contact: Ian Palombi, Press Officer or Steve Pagani, Head of Press Office Tel: +39 0521 036 149 +39 0521 036 149 Email: Press@efsa.europa.eu [1] TSEs or so-called prion diseases are a family of diseases that affect the brain and nervous system of humans and animals. These include Classical BSE and Atypical (L-type and H-type) BSE, Classical and Atypical scrapie, Chronic Wasting Disease and Transmissible Mink Encephalopathy. [2] Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in humans. Various forms of CJD are recognised: of these, sporadic CJD is the most common and its origin is uncertain; variant CJD was identified in the 1990s and is closely linked to exposure probably through food to the cattle disease bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). [3] See also World Health Organization [4] For example, direct/indirect transmission of the infective agent from animals, micro-organisms, food, water, objects, body fluids or through air inhalation. [5] Atypical H-type BSE (H-BSE) and Atypical L-type BSE (L-BSE or BASE) agents are two distinct Atypical BSE agents, discovered after 2004. A case-control study of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in Switzerland: analysis of potential risk factors with regard to an increased CJD incidence in the years 2001-2004 Jessica Ruegger?1, Katharina Stoeck?2,3, Lorenz Amsler4,5, Thomas Blaettler2,6, Marcel Zwahlen7, Adriano Aguzzi2, Markus Glatzel2,8, Klaus Hess1 and Tobias Eckert*4,9 Address: 1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 2Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 3Department of Neurology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, 4Federal Office of Public Health, Bern, Switzerland, 5CSL Behring, Bern, Switzerland, 6Bristol-Myers Squibb, Wallingford, CT, USA, 7Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, 8Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, HamburgEppendorf, Hamburg, Germany and 9Swiss Tropical Institute, Basel, Switzerland * Corresponding author ?Equal contributors Abstract Background: In 2001, the observed annual mortality from CreutzfeldtJakob disease (CJD) in Switzerland increased from less than 1.5 to 2.6 per million inhabitants. An underlying cause could not be identified. Methods: To analyse potential risk factors for sCJD in Switzerland, close relatives of 69 sCJD-patients and 224 frequency age-matched controls were interviewed in a case-control study using a standardised questionnaire. 135 potential risk factors including socio-demographics, medical history, occupation and diet were analysed by logistic regression adjusting for age, sex and education. Results: sCJD patients were more likely to have travelled abroad, worked at an animal laboratory, undergone invasive dental treatment, orthopaedic surgery, ophthalmologic surgery after 1980, regular GP visits, taken medication regularly, and consumed kidney. No differences between patients and controls were found for residency, family history, and exposure to environmental and other dietary factors. Conclusion: Although some factors were significantly more frequent among sCJD-cases, this study did not reveal specific explanations for the increased incidence of deaths due to sporadic CJD observed in Switzerland since 2001. Results have to be interpreted with caution due to multiple testing and possible recall bias in association with a long incubation period. The most plausible reason for the increase in Swiss sCJD cases after 2000 is an improved case ascertainment. Therefore, underreporting of cases might well have occurred before the year 2001, and the "real" yearly incidence of sCJD might not be lower than, but rather above 2 per million inhabitants. snip...
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The third hypothesis to explain the increase in annual mortality rates from sCJD in Switzerland between 2001 and 2004 is a better case ascertainment. Over recent years in Europe, as a general tendency incidences have been rising, however not to such extent as in Switzerland. Given that our results do not support strong evidence for the hypotheses of a zoonotic or iatrogenic cause, ascertainment bias due to a heightened perception and awareness of the disease in physicians must be regarded as the most likely cause for the observed increase. One factor that might be jointly responsible for this increase might be altered reporting requirements in 1999. Since that year all suspected cases in Switzerland had to be reported. In this respect, also the role of chance must be considered, as it is possible that the observed increase of Swiss sCJD-deaths was due to random fluctuation. The rise in annual mortality rate from the years before 2000 to the period 2001- 2004, however, was statistically significant, and therefore, chance must be considered a less likely explanation. In the most recent years, the observed incidence in sCJD deaths (2005: 10; 2006: 13, 2007: 15) dropped to levels just slightly above those before 2000. When recent incidence data until 2007 are included, however, the rise in the annual mortality rate after 2001 was still significant. The sudden increase in 2001 and the slow decrease afterwards are well in line with the media coverage of the CJD topic in the respective years. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/9/18 Worst-case scenario If BSE is the cause of Swiss sporadic CJD - the worst-case scenario - researchers have to work out how the cattle disease can cause two different forms of the human disease: variant CJD in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, and sporadic CJD in Switzerland. This could be explained if British and Swiss cattle harboured different strains of the infectious prion protein - but preliminary experiments suggest that they are the same. Alternatively, Swiss CJD could have leapt to humans through the injection of vaccines or medicines produced using serum made from cows, suggests Cornelia van Duijn of the European collaborative group on CJD incidence at the Erasmus University Medical School in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Finding the source of the disease has "got to be priority number one for Europe", she says. Researchers now hope to establish whether sporadic CJD came from BSE. They will use 'strain typing': infecting mice with the prions causing the two diseases and seeing if the symptoms match up. "It's the best way to establish or exclude any suspected link," says Moira Bruce of the Institute for Animal Health Neuropathogenesis Unit in Edinburgh, UK. These experiments will take at least a year. Imperial College London References 1.Glatzel, M. et al. Sharply increased Creutzfeld-Jakob disease mortality in Switzerland. Lancet 360, 139 - 141 (2002). | Article | ISI | Monday 28th February 2011 Here is a photo of me outside The Tower of London. During a recent stay in central London it brought back many lovely memories of laughing and having fun with my Andrew and Emma during happier times when my only son was healthy, handsome and with the beginnings of a wonderful career in the media. We spent many hours having coffee, walking along the Thames, sharing meals and talking about Andrews hopes for
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