POLITICS: Mad Cow-causing Prions Found in All Organs, page 1

posted on Feb, 5 2005 @ 06:15 PM

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A new study confirms that prions, the infectious proteins that cause Mad Cow disease are found throughout the body. Organs previously thought to be free of prions are now known to contain them, as well as muscle, skin and blood vessels. Yale and University of Zurich researchers report that super-imposed infections play a role in causing prions to spread through the body. This study and other current research appears to validate scientists previous claims that "subclinical" prion infections are common, and may underlie epidemic rising rates of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and various chronic disabilities.

www.medicalnewstoday.com
Prions, infectious proteins associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease, were previously thought to accumulate mainly in the brain, but Yale and University of Zurich researchers report in Science that other organs can also become infected.

Past research had shown that the brain and spinal cord bear the highest infection risk for BSE, followed by organs such as the spleen, lymph nodes and tonsils. All other organs were thought to be devoid of prions.

Ruddle and co-authors analyzed three organ systems that are typically free of prions: liver, pancreas and kidney, in five different mouse models of chronic inflammation. After the mice were infected with prions, the team detected prion accumulation in the inflamed organs. They concluded that the spectrum of organs containing prions might be considerably increased in situations of chronic inflammation.

"The study suggests that the current prion risk-classification of farm animal organs may need to be reassessed in animals suffering from inflammation due to microbial infection or autoimmune disease,"...

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

Earlier research by Adriano Aguzzi's team at the Institute of Neuropathology at University of Zurich showed that prions use the immune system to spread through the body. This new study from Yale and Zurich Universities supports Aguzzi's work, and takes it a step closer to practical applications.

There are wide-ranging implications for human health, which should be considered in a range of areas: from enforcement policies for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and water safety, through to planned modifications of the Social Security system.

Equally important, ordinary people need to be fully informed, and prepared to deal with the possible long-term consequences of subclinical prion infections - high medical bills, early physical or mental disabilities and often, bankruptcy.

Medical bills spark 46% of U.S. personal bankruptcies

Background Information About Prions

Prion Information Primer

Related News Links:
www.newkerala.com
www.theglobeandmail.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
SCI/TECH: "Mad Cow" Spreading in Deer and Elk
SCI/TECH: "Mad Cow" Disease Uses Immune System to Spread in Body
OP/ED: The Final Solution
NEWS: Mad Cow Disease Is Found In Goat

jrod

posted on Feb, 5 2005 @ 06:29 PM

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I had to eat some beef tacos at some unnamed fast food place with a ring. If there is a place to consume infected animal products I can bet that place is it.

Doesn't HIV/AIDS use the immune sytsem to spread throughout the body too? And how contagious are these prions? It seems to me that they should be easily transmitted from human to human and there is not much that can be done to stop it.

soficrow

posted on Feb, 5 2005 @ 06:44 PM

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Originally posted by jrod
I had to eat some beef tacos at some unnamed fast food place with a ring. If there is a place to consume infected animal products I can bet that place is it.

You shouldn't eat fast food - but prions are not the only reason why.

Doesn't HIV/AIDS use the immune sytsem to spread throughout the body too?

Yep. Some people think AIDS started with a prion that teamed up with a certain group of viruses and maybe bacteria too. ...Prions don't just spread to people and animals, they infect microbes too, and also "hitchhike" on them. Makes for a brave new world my friend...

And how contagious are these prions? It seems to me that they should be easily transmitted from human to human and there is not much that can be done to stop it.

Prions are infectious but probably NOT contagious. ...You pretty much need a contaminated scalpel shoved into your body, or to eat the suckers to get infected. We're talking exchange of body fluids and tissues or direct protein-cell or cell-cell exposure here.

The real problem is, infectious prions have been around a while, and current decontamination and sterilization procedures don't get rid of them - so food processing factories, water treatment plants, even hospitals are practically guaranteed to be contaminated.

There are enzymes and measures that can 'kill' prions, but they're not regulated so nobody spends the extra money to get rid of them...

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