The Virus Within - Nicholas Regush. (Pub.2001)
(SYNOPSIS)
It seems that AIDS, cancer and many other neurological diseases, may be caused by a common herpes virus - HHV-6 (Human Herpes Virus 6) and a merry dance has been had by scientists in reaching that conclusion.
Microbiologists are now theorising that ancient viruses are entwined with our own genetic code and need only lifestyle/environment/stress ‘triggers’ or ‘toxic hits’ to reactivate them. They then enter our cells, alter their function and produce abnormal cell behaviour. After which the immune system then attacks them as foreign invaders. HHV-6 now being considered the main instigator, not HIV.
This change of direction was motivated, in part, by emerging doubts in the scientific community. Several scientists had questioned whether HIV actually existed. at all. And those that did accept HIV didn’t think it caused AIDS.
HIV can be detected by measuring enzymes in the blood (reverse transcriptase), enzymes that helped cement the virus to DNA. They serve as markers for particular RNA viruses - known as retroviruses. But it didn’t actually isolate the virus itself. Another test involves counting the HIV particles, representing the viral load. But the test can’t distinguish between defective pieces of virus or those neutralised by antibodies. It was only a ‘viral image’ at best.
Australian Elleni Papadopolous-Eleopulas from Perth hospital also questioned the very existence of HIV. (Genetica 1995) Prompting a London magazine (Continuum) to offer a small award to anyone who could cite a scientific paper that provided proof that a virus called HIV had been extracted from the body in a manner that followed certain established rules for identifying a retrovirus. (Don’t ask, the book didn’t say if there were any takers.)
It also appears that different hospitals and countries use different criteria for detecting ‘pos’ tests.
Donald Carrigan and Konnie Knox (Medical College, Wisconsin) were also onto HHV-6, they found that in some tests patients diagnosed with AIDS didn’t even have HIV. Indeed its proven very difficult to get infected cells to generate HIV. Could it really be the killer its being billed as? HHV-6, however had far more killing power.
Several viruses were initially considered as the cause of AIDS. Montagnieur at the Pasteur Institute detected one possible virus and named it LAV (Lymphatically-Associated Virus) Another was considered by the American Robert Gallo from the National Cancer Institute, he called his HTLV-3 (Human T-cell Leukaemia Virus). In the end they turned out to be ‘almost identical’ and so they were both named as co-discoverers.The virus was eventually re-named HIV.
But there were doubts from other labs right from the start. One such dissident Peter Duesberg, from the University of California , claimed that these retroviruses were harmless to humans. He said that although HIV was often found at the scene of the crime, he didn’t think it was the actual criminal. HHV-6 was much more prevalent.
Kids diagnosed with Roseola also showed up as HHV-6, causing disorders in the heart, lungs, liver and nervous system. Chicken Pox is also caused by a herpes virus. It lays dormant until its reactivated as Shingles in later years. TB also turns up in AIDS patients, this disease still thrives in impoverished areas, crowded jails and organ transplantees. HHV-6 has also been found in cases of testicular cancer. Lupus, arthritis and diabetes are also believed to be auto-immune components.
Cont ...