Archive for the ‘Viruses’ Category

Powassan Virus on the Up-tick

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2019/02/powassan-virus-on-the-up-tick/?

Powassan virus on the up-tick

Paul Smith’s research shows spread risks funding cut

From left, seniors, Anna Mehner, Becky Raymond, Lee Ann Sporn, Katherine Gale, William Tobin, Mason Fountain, Benjamin McInerney and Lillian Meunier are seven of the eight students in Sporn’s class, which tracked the deadly tick-borne Powassan virus in the North Country. The eighth student is Jared Barnhart. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

PAUL SMITHS — A group of Paul Smith’s College students, researching the tick-borne Powassan virus for the state, has discovered that the disease is prevalent throughout the North Country.

Though professor Lee Ann Sporn said research on the Powassan spread is just starting, the group may lose its state funding in March.

The students, who are the first and only researchers of Powassan in the North Country, found that around 25 to 50 percent of deer in the northern half of the Adirondacks tested positive for exposure to Powassan, less than 25 percent were exposed in the southern and most eastern parts and 75 to 100 percent were exposed in the western edge.

“This was completely student driven,” Sporn said. “The state Department of Health was incredibly pleased with what we were able to do.”

The study involved students — funded by the state Senate Task Force on Lyme and other Tick Borne Diseases, and doing research through the Adirondack Watershed Institute — working with deer processors and hunters from St. Lawrence, Franklin, Essex, Clinton, Washington and Warren counties to establish the northern edge of the Powassan virus’ reach.

The pipette and vial used to take a sample of deer blood come in a kit with rubber gloves and a cloth. These kits were used by Paul Smith’s College students to research the tick-borne Powassan virus. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

“The punchline is there really wasn’t a northern edge,” Sporn said.

Powassan does not affect everyone exposed to it, but the ones who are effected can develop a serious brain infection, for which there is no vaccine or antibodies. Powassan has a 10 percent mortality rate, mimics dengue and can be misdiagnosed as the flu. Those who recover from it can often have neurological damage.

The transfer of Powassan from a tick to a human can take as little as 15 minutes.

Powassan is often found in the ticks and deer of southern New York. However, until around two years ago it was unheard of in the North Country.

“It’s probably driven by climate change,” Sporn said of the northward crawl. “Warmer and wetter, with less extended periods of cold.

“In some areas of the state (the south) nearly all deer have antibodies to Powassan,” Sporn continued.

Despite its high prevalence in deer, Powassan is rarely found in humans.

There are under 50 human cases of Powassan ever recorded in New York. However, nine of those were in the past two years, including three in Saratoga County in 2017, one which was fatal.

Powassan-carrying ticks are also pretty rare. Sporn estimates that less than 1 percent are positive in the Tri-Lakes area.

Students tested deer blood because it acts as a sentinel for Powassan in the area. Deer can be bit by thousands of ticks over their lifetime, and once a tick with Powassan bites a deer the deer creates antibodies in its blood which last the rest of its life.

The blood came from samples collected by processors such as Woods and Water and Blue Line Sports, outdoors stores in Saranac Lake, individual hunters and processors around the North Country. Sporn said she wanted to thank everyone that contributed to the study because she was able to get around 100 samples, evenly spread around the park.

“We wouldn’t have done that without the processors,” Sporn said. “What they did provided so much important information.”

Sporn said she doesn’t want this new information to cause panic, but said people shouldn’t be cavalier about it either.

“It doesn’t mean that people are going to get the disease, because there are other places where ticks test positive and no human cases show up,”Sporn said. “No one really understands the relationship between positive ticks, positive deer and human cases.

“Just because you’re exposed doesn’t mean you’re going to get sick,” she added. “The risk to humans is incredibly low.”

To avoid being bitten, Sporn recommends dressing to cover all lower body skin, wearing repellents and being knowledgeable of where ticks will be.

She said to tuck pants into socks, wear light colors to easily see ticks and be aware when walking through high grasses. She said the locally made repellent Wild Wood is effective.

Sporn said it is okay to eat and touch deer infected with it.

Funding troubles

The study was funded through the state Senate Task Force on Lyme and other Tick Borne Diseases, a Republican initiative, with the support of state Sen. Betty Little, R-Queensbury. It is up to the majority party to organize the task force. Democrats took the Senate majority in last year’s election and has not done that yet.

Last year Sporn said she received $30,000 in funding from the task force, including $5,000 for the Powassan project. She is asking for the same level of funding this year.

Sporn said she has been contacting Senate Democrats using a list supplied by Little. Funding will need to be secured for the task force and research by the time the state’s budget is voted on April 1.

Sporn said this research is important for human health in New York, and that it is about catching things early and preempting a health emergency. She wants to research the spread of the virus for several years to see what patterns emerge.

“If you don’t watch over a long time, you may never see that happen,”Sporn said. “I really wish we had done this a few years ago.”

The project also translates its results into public information and literature provided to health clinics and medical professionals to educate them and the public about tick-borne diseases. There is a fair amount of rejection of the research that shows Lyme disease has spread into the Adirondacks by the medical community.

“That’s just kind of human nature, for people to resist the change,” Sporn said.

Sporn said she has talked with the Cloudsplitter Foundation about continuing with private funding. She said the Paul Smith’s students have created a good model for other schools to use to research Powassan or other tick-borne illnesses. She said she has not seen research on if the virus has spread into Vermont or Canada.

__________________

**Comment**

Climate change has nothing to do with this:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/13/study-shows-lyme-not-propelled-by-climate-change/  In this link there is a video showing ticks surviving 3 degrees in snow cover.  Canadian tick researcher, John Scott, has disproven the climate change theory regarding tick expansion and pathogen expansion.  He found that photo-period and songbird migration are behind it.

His study summed up:

  • during bad weather ticks adapt by finding cover
  • warmer temperatures actually reduce tick populations
  • temperature and precipitation have no bearing on tick abundance
  • climate change alarmists have used Canadian studies making 1970 their benchmark for models but didn’t take into account established tick populations that had already been in existence for decades, centuries, or even millennia at northern latitudes
  • Black-legged ticks require 14 hours of daylight to molt.  Photoperiod is innate and can not be altered by the climate
  • Yearly bidirectional, songbird migration in spring and fall is behind tick expansion and the climate change model actually reflects migratory flight not warmer futuristic temperatures

Although Scott’s study specifically deals with Lyme disease, tick and pathogen spread is the same regardless of the disease.

Scott’s study:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/scott-scott-2018-ticks-and-climate-change-jvsm.pdf

For an interview with Scott:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/14/canadian-tick-expert-climate-change-is-not-behind-lyme-disease/

“The climate change range expansion model is what the authorities have been using to rationalize how they have done nothing for more than thirty years. It’s a huge cover-up scheme that goes back to the 1980’s. The grandiose scheme was a nefarious plot to let doctors off the hook from having to deal with this debilitating disease. I caught onto it very quickly. Most people have been victims of it ever since.  This climate change ‘theory’ is all part of a well-planned scheme. Even the ticks are smarter than the people who’ve concocted this thing.  Climate change has nothing to do with tick movement. Blacklegged ticks are ecoadaptive, and tolerate wide temperature fluctuations…..It’s all a red herring to divert your attention.”- John Scott

Due to this research, researchers need to quit going down the rabbit-hole of climate change as it has not and will not help patients one iota.

 

 

 

Category:

Activism, Viruses

Anti-viral Therapy in Alzheimer’s- Clinical Trial

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03282916

Anti-viral Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Know the risks and potential benefits of clinical studies and talk to your health care provider before participating. Read our disclaimer for details.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03282916

Recruitment Status : Recruiting

First Posted : September 14, 2017
Last Update Posted : January 25, 2019
Sponsor:
Collaborators:
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Davangere P. Devanand, New York State Psychiatric Institute
Study Description
Brief Summary:
Anti-viral therapy in Alzheimer’s disease will investigate the efficacy of treating patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease with the U.S.A marketed generic anti-viral drug Valtrex (valacyclovir, 500mg oral tablet). Valacyclovir at 2 g to 4 g per day, repurposed to treat Alzheimer’s disease, will be compared to matching placebo in the treatment of 130 mild AD patients (65 valacyclovir, 65 placebo) who test positive for herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1) or HSV2. The study will be a randomized, double-blind, 18-month Phase II proof of concept trial.
Condition or disease Intervention/treatment Phase
Alzheimer DiseaseHerpes Simplex 1Herpes Simplex 2 Drug: ValacyclovirDrug: Placebo Phase 2
Detailed Description:

Many viruses are latent for decades before being reactivated in the brain by stress, immune compromise, or other factors. After the initial oral infection, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1) becomes latent in the trigeminal ganglion and can later enter the brain via retrograde axonal transport, often targeting the temporal lobes.

HSV1 can also enter the brain via olfactory neurons directly. HSV1 (oral herpes) and HSV2 (genital herpes) are known to trigger amyloid aggregation and their DNA is commonly found in amyloid plaques. Anti-HSV drugs reduce Aβ and p-tau accumulation in brains of infected mice. HSV1 reactivation is associated with tau hyperphosphorylation in mice and may play a role in tau propagation across neurons. In humans, recurrent reactivation with newly produced HSV1 particles, ‘drop by drop,’ may produce neuronal damage and eventually lead to neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, partly due to effects on amyloid and tau. Clinical studies show cognitive impairment in HSV seropositive patients in different patient groups and in healthy adults, and antiviral treatments show robust efficacy against peripheral HSV infection. The study team will conduct the first-ever clinical trial to directly address the long-standing viral etiology hypothesis of AD which posits that viruses, particularly the very common HSV1 and HSV2, may be etiologic or contribute to the pathology of AD.

In patients with mild AD who test positive for serum antibodies to HSV1 or HSV2, the generic antiviral drug valacyclovir, repurposed as an anti-AD drug, will be compared at oral doses of 2 to 4 grams per day to matching placebo in the treatment of 130 patients (65 valacyclovir, 65 placebo) in a randomized, double-blind, 78-week Phase II proof of concept trial. Patients treated with valacyclovir are hypothesized to show smaller decline in cognition and functioning compared to placebo, and, using 18F-Florbetapir PET imaging, to show less amyloid accumulation than placebo over the 78-week trial. Through the use of tau PET imaging with the tracer 18F-MK-6240 at baseline and 78 weeks, patients treated with valacyclovir are hypothesized to show smaller increases in 18F-MK-6240 binding than patients treated with placebo from baseline to 78 weeks. Apolipoprotein E genotype at baseline, as well as changes in cortical thinning on structural MRI, olfactory identification deficits, and antiviral antibody titers from baseline to 78 weeks, will be evaluated in exploratory analyses. In patients who agree to lumbar puncture, plasma and CSF acyclovir will be assayed to establish the degree of CNS penetration of valacyclovir in mild AD, and the investigators will obtain CSF Aβ42, tau, p-tau for subset exploratory analyses with changes in outcome measures.

If this trial is successful, the investigators will apply for funding to conduct a larger, multicenter, Phase III study using a study design that will be informed by the results of this Phase II trial. This innovative Phase II proof of concept trial clearly has exceptionally high reward potential for the treatment of AD.

Study Design
Go to  sections
Study Type : Interventional  (Clinical Trial)
Estimated Enrollment : 130 participants
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Triple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: Anti-viral Therapy in Alzheimer’s Disease
Actual Study Start Date : February 12, 2018
Estimated Primary Completion Date : August 2022
Estimated Study Completion Date : August 2022
___________________
**Comment**
Remember, Alzheimer’s is a label, nothing more.  They are still trying to figure out what causes it.
Dr. Klinghardt has gone on record stating that he’s not had one MS, ALS, or Parkinson’s patient NOT test positive for Lyme:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/23/never-had-a-single-ms-als-or-parkinsons-patient-in-past-5-years-who-didnt-test-positive-for-lyme-dr-klinghardt/

Category:

Activism, Alzheimer's, research, Treatment, Viruses

What’s in the TBDWG Report For Morgellons Patients?

https://www.morgellonssurvey.org/whats-in-the-tbdwg-report-for-morgellons-patients/What’s in the TBDWG Report for Morgellons Patients?

What’s in the TBDWG Report for Morgellons Patients?

by

 

In December of 2018, the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group released its first report to Congress regarding the epidemic of emerging disease. This article gives a basic rundown of relevant statements contained in the first of three TBDWG reports to Congress.

What is the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group?

The TBDWG is a fourteen-member panel of infectious disease professionals called together in light of the 21st Century Cures Act and organized by the Department of Health and Human Services. This group is tasked with reviewing the current science and treatment progress of the various tick-borne diseases and reporting their findings to Congress every two years in December. December 2018 saw the first report, there will be a second report in December 2020 followed by final recommendations at the end of 2022.

So what does this first report detail regarding Morgellons disease? Let’s dive in and find out!
Chronic Lyme Disease

At the start of the first TBDWG report it is stated,

“While most Lyme disease patients who are diagnosed and treated early can fully recover, 10 to 20% of patients suffer from persistent symptoms, which for some are chronic and disabling. Studies indicate that Lyme disease costs approximately $1.3 billion each year in direct medical costs alone in the United States.”

Sounds promising, but what about the insensitive testing methods? What does the report say about early diagnosis and why there are so many false negatives? Amazingly the report addresses these concerns directly, “Today, available diagnostic tests can be inaccurate and complex to interpret, especially during the earliest stage of infection when treatment is most effective. Unlike in other infectious disease settings, tests to directly measure the presence of the infecting organism, such as cultures or tissue biopsies, are not available for some tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. This leaves physicians without the tools needed to diagnose; and without an accurate diagnosis, it is challenging for physicians to provide early treatment.”

Wow! With that kind of admission about standard Lyme testing, you would expect similar honesty regarding other controversial aspects of Lyme disease. What about congenital transmission then, what does this report state about Lyme infecting unborn children?

Lyme Congenital Transmission

From the report, the sole instance of recognition appears on page 53 in the chapter titled “Treatment”. It states,

“Pregnancy: Transplacental infection of the human fetus has been recognized for relapsing fever borreliosis, as well as Lyme disease, babesiosis, and certain arthropodborne flaviviruses. Pregnancy poses particular challenges for treatment because few antimicrobials have been approved and are safe to use during pregnancy. Additional research into appropriate treatment options are needed.”

It’s right there in black and white and from the red, white and blue state of American Freedom and Democracy! Why then would the World Health Organization remove such an apparent consideration from its medical coding system?

But what about Morgellons specifically? What does this report elicit about those afflicted with this particular skin manifestation that’s been thoroughly associated with tick-borne disease?

What’s in the report for Morgellons?

Keyword analysis of the report reveals seventeen instances of the term “skin” speckled throughout. The first instance is regarding frequent skin lesions that occur early in the infectious process. It continues to state that with early treatment the better prognosis can be achieved. While that’s great and everything, what else does it say about skin lesions that may be particularly relevant?

Morgellons Disease

The next two instances of “skin” in the report occur regarding utilizing skin agents to deter ticks from attaching to the skin. The following six instances regard the characteristic erythema migrans bullseye rash and that relates to early diagnosis. This section is interesting in that it elaborates on the many kinds of erythema migrans that can occur and gives a visual presentation of each. Still, none of these erythema migrans look anything at all like Morgellons ulcerations.

The tenth and eleventh occurrence of the term “skin” in the first of three TBDWG reports to Congress are of interest as they describe Figure 10 in the report, “Skin Rashes of Tick-Borne Diseases”. Figure 10.a depicts Tularemia which is a Tick-Borne Infection (TBI) that produces lesions in the skin. The difference between Tularemia and Morgellons, however, is Tularemia does not produce collagenous fibers, which are the defining characteristic of Morgellons disease.

Tularemia Lesion

Occurrence twelve describes how skin rashes present early in dissemination and appears alongside a figure that demonstrates how the IgM response falls off over time, leaving a patient with primarily elevated IgG antibodies.

“Skin” appears for the thirteenth and fourteenth time in the report regarding the challenges of diagnosing skin rashes in individuals with darker skin tone. This section stresses the importance of TBI education in areas where Lyme is not considered endemic, as a lapse in diagnosis can result in severe patient complications.

The fifteenth and sixteenth use of the term “skin” appear alongside information regarding how the disease disseminates from the skin to other organs of the body in the sixth chapter which details treatment. This section is completely fascinating, eliciting how infected patients are more susceptible to re-infection and how mice vaccinated against influenza produced a suppressed immune response to the flu in light of their infection with Borrelia burgdorferi.

If Lyme disease can suppress the immune response for diseases other than itself, what else can it accomplish?

The final instance of the term “skin” in the TBDWG report to Congress is alongside recognition of NIAMS, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. We went to the NIAMS website and was not at all surprised to produce a lack of search results for the term “Morgellons“.

Is the TBDWG Report Good?
Canines Ticks Diseases https://www.maxpixel.net/Canines-Ticks-Diseases-185885

The first TBDWG Report is surprising. It’s not at all littered with propaganda and falsehoods that plague our esteemed medical establishments. Besides not directly addressing Morgellons the report does reveal several controversial facts about Lyme disease that many in official health agencies currently disagree about. This is a refreshing move in what could be considered a positive direction.

This report did not try to appease the establishment, but at the same time, it doesn’t explore the full extent of the Lyme pandemic. The fact is the fourteen members of the TBDWG have two more reports to produce, and we know for certain many of them are aware of the significance Morgellons has relating to their efforts.

If a grade was to be applied to the first report it feels like this initial effort deserves a solid B+.

https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/tickbornedisease/index.html

 

Category:

Activism, Babesia, Lyme, Morgellons, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Tularemia, Viruses

Awkward Flu Jabs Attempted at Golden Globes

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/01/29/golden-globes-flu-shot-stunt.aspx?

Jan. 29, 2019

By Dr. Mercola

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh featured a flu shot stunt during the 76th Golden Globe Awards ceremony
  • They told the audience to roll up their sleeves, as they would all be getting flu shots, while people in white coats stormed down the aisles, syringes in hand
  • Samberg added that anti-vaxxers could put a napkin over their head if they wanted to be skipped
  • The stunt only serves as a seemingly desperate attempt to make flu shots relevant and in vogue
  • During the 2017 to 2018 flu season, only 37 percent of U.S. adults received a flu shot, and the overall adjusted vaccine effectiveness against influenza A and B virus infection was just 36 percent

In what can only be described as a new level of propaganda, hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh featured a flu shot stunt during the 76th Golden Globe Awards ceremony. They told the audience to roll up their sleeves, as they would all be getting flu shots, while people in white coats stormed down the aisles, syringes in hand.

Most of the audience looked thoroughly uneasy at the prospect of having a stranger stick them with a needle in the middle of an awards show. But perhaps the worst part of the scene was when Samberg added that anti-vaxxers could put a napkin over their head if they wanted to be skipped, basically suggesting that anyone opposed to a flu shot deserved to be branded with a proverbial scarlet letter.

The flu shots, for the record, were reportedly fake,1 nothing more than a bizarre gag that left many people stunned by the Globe’s poor taste in turning a serious medical choice into a publicity gimmick.

Flu Shot Stunt Reeks of Desperation

Whoever came up with the idea to turn the Golden Globes into a platform for a public health message probably thought it was ingenious, but the stunt only serves as a seemingly desperate attempt to make flu shots relevant and in vogue. During the 2017 to 2018 flu season, only 37 percent of U.S. adults received a flu shot, a 6 percent drop from the prior season.2

“To improve flu vaccination coverage for the 2018-19 flu season, health care providers are encouraged to strongly recommend and offer flu vaccination to all of their patients,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wrote. “People not visiting a provider during the flu season have many convenient places they can go for a flu vaccination.”3

Yet, perhaps the decline in people choosing to get vaccinated has nothing to do with convenience and everything to do with their dismal rates of efficacy. In the decade between 2005 and 2015, the influenza vaccine was less than 50 percent effective more than half of the time.4

The 2017/2018 flu vaccine was a perfect example of this trend. The overall adjusted vaccine effectiveness against influenza A and B virus infection was just 36 percent.5

Health officials blamed the flu season’s severity on the dip in vaccination rates, but as Dr. Paul Auwaerter, clinical director of the division of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told USA Today, “[I]t is also true that the vaccine was not as well matched against the strains that circulated.”6

But bringing flu shots to the Golden Globes, and calling out “anti-vaxxers,” is nothing more than “medical care, by shame,” noted Dr. Don Harte, a chiropractic activist in California. “But it was entertaining, in a very weird way, including the shock and disgust of some of the intended victims, notably [Willem Dafoe],” he said, adding:7

“This Hollywood publicity stunt for the flu vaccine is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen from celebrities. But it does go with the flu shot itself, which is, perhaps, the stupidest of all the vaccines available.”

Did 80,000 People Really Die From the Flu Last Year?

The CDC reported that 79,400 people died from influenza during the 2017/2018 season, which they said “serves as a reminder of how severe seasonal influenza can be.”8 It’s important to remember, however, that the 80,000 deaths figure being widely reported in the media is not actually all “flu deaths.”

According to the CDC, “We look at death certificates that have pneumonia or influenza causes (P&I), other respiratory and circulatory causes (R&C), or other nonrespiratory, noncirculatory causes of death, because deaths related to flu may not have influenza listed as a cause of death.”9

As for why the CDC doesn’t base flu mortality estimates only on death certificates that list influenza, they noted, “Seasonal influenza may lead to death from other causes, such as pneumonia, congestive heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease … Additionally, some deaths — particularly among the elderly — are associated with secondary complications of seasonal influenza (including bacterial pneumonias).”10

In other words, “flu deaths” are not just deaths directly caused by the influenza virus, but also secondary infections such as pneumonia and other respiratory diseases, as well as sepsis.11

According to the CDC, most of the deaths occurred among those aged 65 years and over, a population that may already have preexisting conditions that makes them more susceptible to infectious diseases. As Harte said of annual flu deaths, “[M]ost if not all, I would assume, are of people who are already in very bad shape.12

CDC Claims Flu Vaccine Reduces Flu Deaths in the Elderly — But Does It?

Since people aged 65 and over are those most at risk from flu complications and death, the CDC has been vocal in their claims that the flu shot significantly reduces flu-related deaths among this population. The research, however, says otherwise.

Research published in 2005 found no correlation between increased vaccination rates among the elderly and reduced mortality. According to the authors, “Because fewer than 10 percent of all winter deaths were attributable to influenza in any season, we conclude that observational studies substantially overestimate vaccination benefit.”13

A 2006 study also showed that even though seniors vaccinated against influenza had a 44 percent reduced risk of dying during flu season than unvaccinated seniors, those who were vaccinated were also 61 percent less like to die before the flu season ever started.14

This finding has since been attributed to a “healthy user effect,” which suggests that older people who get vaccinated against influenza are already healthier and, therefore, less likely to die anyway, whereas those who do not get the shot have suffered a decline in health in recent months.

Journalist Jeremy Hammond summed up the CDC’s continued spreading of misinformation regarding the flu vaccine’s effectiveness in the elderly, as they continue to claim it’s the best way to prevent the flu:15

“[T]here is no good scientific evidence to support the CDC’s claim that the influenza vaccine reduces hospitalizations or deaths among the elderly.

The types of studies the CDC has relied on to support this claim have been thoroughly discredited due to their systemic ‘healthy user’ selection bias, and the mortality rate has observably increased along with the increase in vaccine uptake — which the CDC has encouraged with its unevidenced claims about the vaccine’s benefits, downplaying of its risks, and a marketing strategy of trying to frighten people into getting the flu shot for themselves and their family.”

Death of Vaccinated Child Blamed on Not Getting Second Dose

In January 2019, the state of Colorado reported the first child flu death of the 2018/2019 flu season — a child who had received influenza vaccination. But instead of highlighting the vaccine’s failure and clear limitations, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment blamed the death on the child being only “partially vaccinated.”

“It’s an unfortunate but important reminder of the importance of two doses of influenza vaccine for young children who are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time,” Dr. Rachel Herlihy, who is the state communicable disease epidemiologist, said in a news release.16 For those who aren’t aware, the CDC notes that one dose of flu shot may not be enough to protect against the flu. Instead, they state:17

“Children 6 months through 8 years getting vaccinated for the first time, and those who have only previously gotten one dose of vaccine, should get two doses of vaccine this season …

The first dose ‘primes’ the immune system; the second dose provides immune protection. Children who only get one dose but need two doses can have reduced or no protection from a single dose of flu vaccine.”

Not only may the flu vaccine fail to provide protection against the flu, but many people are not aware that other types of viruses are responsible for about 80 percent of all respiratory infections during any given flu season.18 The flu vaccine does not protect against or prevent any of these other types of respiratory infections causing influenza-like illness (ILI) symptoms.

The chance of contracting actual type A or B influenza, caused by one of the three or four influenza virus strains included in the vaccine, is much lower compared to getting sick with another type of viral or bacterial infection during the flu season.

Does Flu Vaccine Increase the Risk of Influenza Infection, Contribute to Vaccine Shedding?

There are serious adverse effects that can come along with annual flu vaccination, including potentially lifelong side effects such as Guillain Barré syndrome and chronic shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA). They may also increase your risk of contracting more serious flu infections, as research suggests those who have been vaccinated annually may be less protected than those with no prior flu vaccination history.19

Research presented at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego also revealed that children who get seasonal flu shots are more at risk of hospitalization than children who do not. Children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization as children who had not. Among children with asthma, the risk was even higher.20

There’s also the potential for vaccine shedding, which has taken on renewed importance with the reintroduction of the live virus vaccine FluMist during the 2018/2019 season. While the CDC states that the live flu virus in FluMist is too weak to actually give recipients the flu, research has raised some serious doubts that this is the case.

One recent study revealed not only that influenza virus may be spread via simple breathing (i.e., no sneezing or coughing required) but also that repeated vaccination increases the amount of virus released into the air.21

MedImmune, the company that developed FluMist, is aware that the vaccine sheds vaccine-strain virus. In its prescribing information, they describe a study on the transmission of vaccine-strain viruses from vaccinated children to nonvaccinated children in a day care setting.

In 80 percent of the FluMist recipients, at least one vaccine-strain virus was isolated anywhere from one to 21 days following vaccination. They further noted, “One placebo subject had mild symptomatic Type B virus infection confirmed as a transmitted vaccine virus by a FluMist recipient in the same playgroup.”22

Are There Other Ways to Stay Healthy During Flu Season?

Contrary to the CDC’s and Golden Globe’s claims that flu vaccinations are a great way to prevent flu, other methods exist to help you stay healthy during the flu season and all year, and they’re far safer than annual flu vaccination. Vitamin D testing and optimization have been shown to cut your risk of respiratory infections, including colds and flu, in half if you are vitamin D deficient, for instance.23,24

In my view, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best respiratory illness prevention and optimal health strategies available. Influenza has also been treated with high-dose vitamin C,25and taking zinc lozenges at the first sign of respiratory illness can also be helpful.

Following other basic tenets of health, like eating right, getting sound sleep, exercising and addressing stress are also important, as is regularly washing your hands.

___________________

**Comment**

It is absolute hypocrisy that the CDC will consider numerous secondary illnesses (pneumonia, respiratory diseases, sepsis, etc) in the mortality rate for the flu but will not consider the complexity of Lyme/MSIDS and the plethora of illnesses it can cause.  I guess it all boils down to the ability to make a buck and since Lyme/MSIDS isn’t a big cash cow, it’s ignored to the devastation of millions worldwide.

For more on the devastation the flu shot has caused:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/12/11/ny-senator-passes-away-at-47-after-linking-illness-to-flu-shot-symptoms/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/12/07/nevada-man-diagnosed-with-guillain-barre-syndrome-after-getting-flu-shot/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/12/14/man-blames-flu-shot-for-blindness-partial-paralysis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/21/woman-undergoes-extensive-arm-surgery-after-flu-shot/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/23/influenza-vaccines-dengue-like-disease/

Great read on all aspects of the flu-vaccine:  https://www.nvic.org/Vaccines-and-Diseases/Influenza.aspx

The Cochrane review also concluded that recommendations for routine use of influenza vaccine as a routine public health measure was not supported by the published evidence base and stated,

“The results of this review provide no evidence for the utilisation of vaccination against influenza in healthy adults as a routine public health measure. As healthy adults have a low risk of complications due to respiratory disease, the use of the vaccine may only be advised as an individual protective measure.” 13

disabilities.https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/03/24/vaccines-revealed-5/  Focuses on the flu vaccine and vaccination in pregnancy.

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/09/26/flu-vaccination-miscarriage-  Vaccinating pregnant women Has NO BASIS in SCIENCE.  In this link, a study reports that women receiving the flu vaccine two years in a row were more likely to suffer miscarriage within the following 28 days.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/03/28/vaccines-revealed-9/  Brian Hooker on Gardasil & the flu vaccines, Dr. Heather Wolfson, Chiropractor & Holistic Family Care Expert, and husband, Dr. Jack Wolfson – a Board-Certified Cardiologist, and lastly, Dr. Dan Pompa, a Cellular Detox Expert, author of From Pain to Purpose.

 

 

Category:

Activism, Transmission, vaccines, Viruses

North Dakota Tick Survey Sees Large Uptick of Samples. Here’s What the Health Department Found

https://www.thedickinsonpress.com/lifestyle/health/4556529-north-dakota-tick-survey-sees-large-uptick-samples-heres-what-health

North Dakota tick survey sees large uptick of samples. Here’s what the health department found.

By Kim Fundingsland / Minot Daily News on Jan 14, 2019 

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The American Dog tick was the most common tick surveyed in 2018 by the North Dakota Department of Health. This adult female is a known carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.   submitted photo
BISMARCK – Those creepy, crawly creatures are living up to their nasty reputation. In brief, the summary of a second season of a statewide survey of ticks confirms what most people fear – a high percentage of the bloodsucking, pincer pests are carriers of disgusting diseases that are easily transmitted to hosts.

 

The North Dakota Department of Health first ventured into tick surveillance in 2017 by collecting and testing a relatively small sample of ticks. The ticks in the sample were provided with the help of veterinarians and zoos in the state. The program was significantly expanded in 2018 with active participation from 37 veterinarians, four zoos, North Dakota Game and Fish, Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services and at least one individual.

“They all submitted ticks, which was a huge help,”said Laura Cronquist, NDDOH division of disease control. “We had more coverage throughout the state in 2018, which was real nice.”

Of the 13,640 ticks collected and sent to the state laboratory for disease testing, nearly half were contributed by a single interested individual – John Heiser of Grassy Butte. In all, ticks were submitted from 25 counties in the state.

“We had more participation last year, which was awesome,” said Cronquist. “More ticks were submitted. Our project is really unique for our area.”

The state’s most common tick is the American Dog tick. The dog tick and Rocky Mountain wood tick, which is also found within the state, are closely related. Both are known for their speciality, carrying the dreaded Rocky Mountain spotted fever virus.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever symptoms include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and muscle pain. Delayed treatment may lead to severe illness or death. Some Rocky Mountain spotted fever victims may suffer irreversible hearing loss, paralysis, mental disability and damage to blood vessels which could lead to amputation of extremities. Fourteen cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever were reported in the state in 2017.

There’s another tick present in North Dakota with a well-deserved and ugly reputation too. A surprising number of them were collected in 2018.

“We ended up with more deer ticks from across the state,” noted Cronquist.

While the number of deer ticks submitted to the NDDOH was small in comparison to the number of other ticks, just 51, they were found in 22 of the 25 counties surveyed, including Ward County. Deer ticks are are known carriers of Lyme disease, 56 cases of which were reported in the state in 2017. In addition, deer ticks are believed to have transmitted 17 cases of anaplasmosis and one case of Powassan in 2017.

The symptoms of anaplasmosis are similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever but can include chills, cough and confusion. Severe cases can lead to difficulty breathing, hemorrhage, kidney failure and disrupt various functions of the nervous system.

Fortunately, Powassan transmission from ticks remains quite rare in North Dakota. It is closely related to West Nile disease. A tick can transmit Powassan in as little as 15 minutes after biting a human. About 10 percent of Powassan cases result in death. According to the NDDOH report on the 2018 study, statistics show that approximately half of Powassan survivors have permanent neurologic conditions including headaches, muscle wasting and memory problems.

The Lone Star tick, whose range is primarily the southern and eastern United States, and has been linked to red meat allergies, is believed to be expanding its range. However, Lone Star ticks remain extremely rare in North Dakota.

“That’s correct,” said Cronquist. “Two years ago two were found. Last year just one and it’s unknown how they got here. They are not all that concerning yet.”

The state was divided into eight regions for the tick surveillance survey. Tick pools from each region, consisting of up to 20 ticks each, were tested for the presence of several diseases. Of the 176 pools made up of American Dog ticks and Rocky Mountain wood ticks, 106 tested positive for disease carrying pathogens. Half of the deer tick pools tested positive.

According to the NDDOH report, ticks can transfer some pathogens to their hosts in as little as 15 minutes. Some pathogens require that the tick to be attached from 24 to 48 hours. When a tick bites into flesh it inserts a feeding tube into the incision which enables the transmission of disease.

Complete results and information regarding the 2018 tick surveillance project can be found on the NDDOH website.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/22/citizen-scientists-help-track-tick-borne-illness-exposure/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/10/canadian-citizen-scientists-helping-with-tick-surveillance/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/26/scientists-high-school-students-find-new-pathogens-hiding-in-indiana-ticks/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/22/tick-project-takes-a-deeper-look-at-disease/

Category:

Activism, Anaplasmosis, Lyme, research, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ticks, Transmission, Viruses