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A report of the largest study of homeopathy ever undertaken, based on data from over 11 million people (the entire population of Cuba), is published in the journal Homeopathy.1 It provides fascinating evidence that a highly dilute substance, prepared according to homeopathic principles, may contribute to the prevention of Leptospirosis.
In late 2007, in response to a developing epidemic, and with only enough vaccine to treat 15,000 high-risk people, the government decided to treat the entire population of the region, over one year of age, with a homeopathic medicine. This was prepared from the inactivated causative organism by the Cuban National Vaccine Institute.
Within a few weeks the number of cases had fallen from the forecast 38 to 4 cases per 100,000 per week, significantly fewer than the historically-based forecast for those weeks of the year.
The effect appeared to be sustained: there was an 84% reduction in infection in the treated region in the following year (2008) when, for the first time, incidence did not correlate with rainfall. In the same period, incidence in the untreated region increased by 22%.
Originally posted by grey580
Communist dictatorships aren't exactly known for the truth.
I'd take that with a tumbler of salt.
PUBMED
Large-scale application of highly-diluted bacteria for Leptospirosis epidemic control.
Bracho G, Varela E, Fernández R, Ordaz B, Marzoa N, Menéndez J, García L, Gilling E, Leyva R, Rufín R, de la Torre R, Solis RL, Batista N, Borrero R, Campa C.
Source
Finlay Institute, Ave. 27, La Lisa, Havana City, Cuba. [email protected]
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease of major importance in the tropics where the incidence peaks in rainy seasons. Natural disasters represent a big challenge to Leptospirosis prevention strategies especially in endemic regions. Vaccination is an effective option but of reduced effectiveness in emergency situations. Homeoprophylactic interventions might help to control epidemics by using highly-diluted pathogens to induce protection in a short time scale. We report the results of a very large-scale homeoprophylaxis (HP) intervention against Leptospirosis in a dangerous epidemic situation in three provinces of Cuba in 2007.
METHODS:
Forecast models were used to estimate possible trends of disease incidence. A homeoprophylactic formulation was prepared from dilutions of four circulating strains of Leptospirosis. This formulation was administered orally to 2.3 million persons at high risk in an epidemic in a region affected by natural disasters. The data from surveillance were used to measure the impact of the intervention by comparing with historical trends and non-intervention regions.
RESULTS:
After the homeoprophylactic intervention a significant decrease of the disease incidence was observed in the intervention regions. No such modifications were observed in non-intervention regions. In the intervention region the incidence of Leptospirosis fell below the historic median. This observation was independent of rainfall.
CONCLUSIONS:
The homeoprophylactic approach was associated with a large reduction of disease incidence and control of the epidemic. The results suggest the use of HP as a feasible tool for epidemic control, further research is warranted.
2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Comment in
Homeopathy. 2010 Jul;99(3):153-5.
PMID:
20674839
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Originally posted by MischeviousElf
PUBMED seems to support the Results! That's the official US Gov med site! The study is solid.
Originally posted by Astyanax
reply to post by MischeviousElf
This study was published in Homeopathy, the July 2010 issue. It says so in your post. It is no more to be trusted than any other self-serving magazine article.
How is an actual study, of the largest in its kind than a "self serving magazine article".
You are trolling.
The fact this is on MedLine Pub Med show this study is real and not just Constructive Journalism.
Originally posted by grey580
Communist dictatorships aren't exactly known for the truth.
I'd take that with a tumbler of salt.
The magazine, Homeopathy, is published by and for people who believe in a form of medical treatment based entirely on faith with no scientific support whatsoever. The editorial policy of such a magazine is obviously sympathetic to the belief system of its publishers and readers; you cannot possibly expect a disproof of homeopathy in it, could you? Neither can any claimed proof of homeopathy published in it be trusted without close, sceptical srutiny.
Homeopathy exists to promote homeopathy. That is what I mean by ‘self-serving magazine article’.
I don’t believe a word of it and neither should you.
Honestly, by that way of thinking we might as well cast doubt upon the big bang theory because some science journal that supports the big bang model published an article about it.
I'm personally still on the fence about this myself, but what specific issue do you have with the Cuban study on homeopathic intervention and it's effectiveness against this disease?
Indeed you could. Not only that, you should. If the big bang theory wasn’t so well supported by other, independent evidence, we should certainly do well to doubt the word of its promoters.
The trouble with homeopathy is that both scientific theory and independent evidence indicate that it doesn’t work;
under these circumstances, one is entitled to take ‘studies’ conducted by interested parties with more than a grain of salt.
Addendum
My thanks to VneZonyDostupa for his explanation. So there was nothing wrong with the study per se; the claim of support for homeopathy was false, a misunderstanding or a lie.