Swine Flu Editorial: Journal of Biology

Influenza: one or two more questions

Miranda Robertson

Journal of Biology 2009, 8:45doi:10.1186/jbiol158
The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://jbiol.com/content/8/5/45

Published:

12 June 2009

© 2009 BioMed Central Ltd

Editorial

When we asked Peter Doherty to write a question-and-answer piece on influenza [1], Australia, where he is based, had one reported case of influenza A (H1N1). At the time of writing this editorial, Australia has more than 1,200 cases (though to date no deaths) and has triggered the announcement by WHO of a global pandemic.

Received wisdom has it that pathogens are not generally lethal to the hosts they normally infect, because they could not survive if they were. Pathogenicity thus becomes adapted to a level at which the host survives to become reinfected (or to produce young that become infected). The most notable example of such adaptation is in the herpesviruses, which have evolved a quite extraordinary repertoire of devices for avoiding human immunity and with which most human adults in the Western world are chronically infected. Herpesviruses persist through latency. Influenza virus belongs to a different strategic class, which proliferates rapidly and escapes in coughs and sneezes, leaving the host immune. Most humans survive infection with human influenza viruses; but the adaptive truce may break down when the human viruses recombine with viruses of avian or swine origin: hence the high human mortality associated with the H5N1 avian influenza virus that emerged into public consciousness in 2005. The so-called swine H1N1 influenza virus that is the cause of the current pandemic is apparently a triple-reassortant, with genes of swine, human and avian origin. Unlike H5N1 it is readily transmissible between humans, but it seems - so far at least - otherwise less uncouth, and in most people causes only mild disease; so perhaps in respect both of transmissibility and of pathogenicity it reflects its human rather than its swine or avian origins. What makes this virus particularly dangerous, as Peter Doherty and Stephen Turner explain in their Q&A in this issue of Journal of Biology [1], is simply that most of us are not immune to it, and it was not, until now, on the agenda for inclusion in the seasonal influenza vaccine programme.

It is probably the level - or rather the distribution - of population immunity that also partly accounts for the atypical pattern of mortality of pandemic as against the usual seasonal influenza. Whereas seasonal influenza is more likely to kill the old, pandemic influenza (including the present H1N1 influenza) tends preferentially to kill the young. This is thought to be because older individuals are likely to have some level of immunity due to crossprotective antibodies - that is, antibodies against similar features of other, in this case past, influenza viruses. (I ought however to restate that disease due to influenza A (H1N1) seems generally mild; and indeed mortality is almost certainly even lower than it seems, because it is highly likely that many infected individuals never bother to consult a doctor and the number of people actually infected therefore probably substantially exceeds the number reported.)

FDA Calls Cheerios an “Unapproved Drug

The continued harassment and suppression of information by the FDA would be ludicrous if it wasn't killing hundreds of thousands of people every year. As some former FDA officials have pointed out, the organization is more a servant of drug companies than a protector of the health of American people.

In medieval times, people were not allowed to read the Bible as they might get strange ideas. Today, you are not allowed to talk about research in medical journals as you might start to question some of the drugs you are on.

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The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to cereal manufacturer General Mills for claiming on its cereal box that Cheerios can help lower cholesterol, and saying on their website that “diets rich in whole grain foods can reduce the risk of heart disease.” The letter, dated May 5, called the above claims “serious violations” of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and applicable regulations. FDA stated that based on the claims made, Cheerios is now an unapproved drug, and must go through FDA new drug approval process.

FDA has issued warning letters in the past to various food producers to keep them from telling consumers about the healthful nature of their products. For example, cherry growers were targeted and enjoined from referencing peer-reviewed scientific articles proving cherries’ health benefits for gout and arthritis. For years, FDA barred health claims about the benefits of fish oil for heart, cancer, depression, body pain, and various other conditions until a drug company paid a great deal of money to take its fish oil through the approval process. That particular fish oil, now FDA-approved, sells at many more times the cost of regular fish oil. This type of enforcement effectively censors scientific information, greatly restricts consumer access to scientific studies that provide valuable information, and drives up healthcare costs.

American Association for Health Freedom

Homeopathic Treatment for Infectious Disease

There is an interesting discussion of treatment of flu with homeopathy on Homeonet. David Kent Warkenten quotes Andre Saine who cites one of the many published papers in homeopathy showing the difference between conventional treatment of the flu and homeopathic treatment during the worst epidemics.

Today we have the same and better homeopathic remedies readily available and they are great support for any frequency work.

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How does homeopathy address patients with infectious diseases? Homeopathic treatment is ideal to optimize the body's natural defenses against microbes. With the appropriate homeopathic treatment, people recover from infectious diseases, even the most serious ones, gently and rapidly. During past great epidemics such as diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhoid, cholera, yellow fever, malaria, etc., homeopathy decreased mortality by 10 to 30 times versus conventional medicine. During the infamous Spanish flu epidemic of 1918-19, it has been estimated that 25 to 50 million people died worldwide. In the United States alone, 550,000 died, approximately 10% of the people afflicted with the flu. Homeopathic physicians documented then more than 62,000 patients treated with homeopathy resulting in a mortality of 0.7%. For people who were sick enough to be hospitalized, conventional medicine had a mortality of 30% while with 27,000 documented hospitalized cases, homeopathy was reporting a mortality of 1.05% (Journal of the American Institute of Homeopathy 1921; 13:1028-43).

Homeopathy: The First Line of Defense in Dealing with the Flu

It is well known to students of the homeopathic research literature that deaths from flu treated by homeopathy are almost nonexistent. The worse flu epidemics of the past had almost no deaths compared to conventional treatment. Melanie Grimes has a good summary of the literature in a recent article in NaturalNews.

Today, for most flus including the current swine flu, we have a very effective remedy in Oscillicocinum. It can be purchased in any Whole Foods Market. I have even seen it in some CVS and other chain drugstores. Use it at the first sign of the flu as it impacts a wider spectrum of flu organisms than any vaccine.

Important for Swine Flu Epidemic: Homeopathy Successfully Treated Flu Epidemic of 1918
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 by: Melanie Grimes, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Homeopathy was successful in treating the flu epidemic of 1918 and can provide answers to questions about the 2009 Swine Flu. Homeopathy can provide quick and inexpensive relief for symptoms of the flu. A system of medicine based on the principles of "like cures like," homeopathy uses plant, mineral and animal sources for the natural flu remedies. Homeopathy is based on ideas from ideas dating back to Egyptian medicine. The term "homeopathy" was coined by the medical doctor and medical reformer, Samuel Hahnemann in the 1800s. Homeopathic remedies have been used to treat flu symptoms for two centuries.

Was homeopathy successful in treating the flu epidemic of 1918?
Yes.
While the mortality rate of people treated with traditional medicine and drugs was 30 percent, those treated by homeopathic physicians had mortality rate of 1.05 percent.
Of the fifteen hundred cases reported at the Homeopathic Medical Society of the District of Columbia there were only fifteen deaths. Recoveries in the National Homeopathic Hospital were 100%. In Ohio, of 1,000 cases of influenza, Dr. T. A. McCann, MD, Dayton, Ohio reported NO DEATHS.


What homeopathic remedies were used to successfully treat the Spanish flu in 1918?
Gelsemium and Bryonia
According the Dr. Frank Wieland, MD, in Chicago, "(With) 8,000 workers we had only one death. Gelsemium was practically the only remedy used. We used no aspirin and no vaccines."

Homeopathy was 98% successful in treating the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918?
Yes.
Ohio reported that 24,000 cases of flu treated allopathically had a mortality rate of 28.2% while 26,000 cases of flu treated homeopathically had a mortality rate of 1.05% . In Connecticut, 6,602 cases were reported, with 55 deaths, less than 1%.  Dr. Roberts, a physician on a troop ship during WWI, had 81 cases of flu on the way over to Europe.  He reported, "All recovered and were landed. Every man received homeopathic treatment."

How do they know that a virus caused the flu epidemic of 1918, when the first virus was not isolated until 1933?
They don`t. In fact, many believe that the epidemic was actually a vaccine reaction.

Swine Flu Update 30 Apr 2009

Frequency Foundation ongoing research indicates that there are three virus strains circulating. Two variants of swine flu and one of bird flu. This may account for mixed genetic material seen in viruses cultured by other researchers. The frequencies appear to be the same as one of the many hundreds of viruses that those infected with Lyme disease have been fighting for years with minor changes. So they are likely variants of the many viruses studied and released into the atmosphere at the Plum Island laboratory through decades of violation of EPA safety regulations. At least one United Nations expert thinks these viruses were produced in a lab. See Dr. Mercola's excellent article on swine flu.

Frequency Foundation subscribers will receive updated frequencies today as part of their normal subscription (see link on lower left side of page to subscribe). The current swine flu virus variant has produced mild symptoms in infected people so far in the United States and these frequencies might be helpful for prevention purposes.

Oscillicocinum is strongly indicated for this infection and recommended for anyone who thinks they have been exposed. You can buy it at any Whole Foods Market.

Human Swine Influenza Investigation
Swine Flu website last updated April 29, 2009, 9:45 PM ET

U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection (As of April 29, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)

States	# of laboratory confirmed cases	Deaths
Arizona	1
California	14
Indiana	1
Kansas	2
Massachusetts	2
Michigan	2
Nevada	1
New York	51
Ohio	1
Texas	16	1
TOTAL COUNTS	91 cases	1 death
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection See: World Health Organization

The outbreak of disease in people caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin continues to grow in the United States and internationally. Today, CDC reports additional confirmed human infections, hospitalizations and the nation’s first fatality from this outbreak. The more recent illnesses and the reported death suggest that a pattern of more severe illness associated with this virus may be emerging in the U.S. Most people will not have immunity to this new virus and, as it continues to spread, more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths are expected in the coming days and weeks.
CDC has implemented its emergency response. The agency’s goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by the new virus. Yesterday, CDC issued new interim guidance for clinicians on how to care for children and pregnant women who may be infected with this virus. Young children and pregnant women are two groups of people who are at high risk of serious complications from seasonal influenza. In addition, CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available.

GAO Sting Operation Surfaces Fraud in Medical Trials

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Membership in the American Association for Health Freedom is strongly encouraged as it is one of the few organizations protecting your freedom of choice in medicine. You probably will not find this report in your local newspaper.


Ensnared by an Undercover Investigation, Drug Study Reviewer Halts Many of Its Review Operations

A previous Pulse of Health Freedom issue mentioned the uncover operations of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) which ensnared Coast IRB, LLC, of Colorado Springs. The GAO created a fake medical study of a fake product to see whether for-profit review boards adequately supervised medical trials. Two firms turned it down but Coast IRB took it.

Coast IRB has now voluntarily halted many of its review operations at the FDA’s request. Up to 300 trials could be affected. The company has issued a statement that it caught the “sting” internally and had launched an internal investigation.

In the wake of an adolescent’s death in a gene therapy drug trial, the safety of human volunteers in clinical trials has come under increasing scrutiny, and many are worried about the objectivity of the results presented to the FDA.

The influence of vested interests, particularly in medical research, is also of great concern. Educators like John Abramson, MD, author of Overdosed America, have clearly documented that vested interests skew medical school education, medical research, medical journal publication, and clinical practice guidelines. When guidelines become mandatory or coercive, which is the current direction the government and insurers are taking, it gives vested interests a chance directly to control medical care. All Americans deserve an objective assessment of their potential treatment options in order to make an informed decision about their health.

CDC Coverup: Politics often overwhelms reality

Health agency covered up lead harm

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention withheld evidence that contaminated tap water caused lead poisoning in kids.

By Rebecca Renner, Salon.com

April 10, 2009 | From 2001 to 2004, Washington, D.C., experienced what may have been the worst lead contamination of city water on record. Tens of thousands of homes had sky-high levels of lead at the tap, and in the worst cases, tap water contained enough lead to be classified as hazardous waste. Not that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the government oversight agency for public health, was worried.

A 2004 CDC report found that water contamination "might have contributed a small increase in blood lead levels." The study has been influential. School officials in New York and Seattle have used the CDC report as justification for not aggressively responding to high levels of lead in their water, and other cities have cited the report to dispel concerns about lead in tap water.

But the results of thousands of blood tests that measured lead contamination in children were missing from the report, potentially skewing the findings and undermining public health. Further, the CDC discovered in 2007 that many young children living in D.C. homes with lead pipes were poisoned by drinking water and suffered ill effects. Parents wondered whether the water could have caused speech and balance problems, difficulty with learning, and hyperactivity. Yet the health agency did not publicize the new findings or alert public health authorities in D.C. or other federal agencies that regulate lead, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or Housing and Urban Development...

The House Science and Technology Committee Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee is beginning an investigation into CDC's handling of the D.C. lead crisis. Subcommittee chair Brad Miller, D-N.C., wrote the CDC on March 13, requesting all "records that indicate possible, probable or actual forgery, fabrication or other intentional misrepresentation of data," concerning lead in the water.