In 1977 the FDA were also concerned that some batches of vaccine contained retroviruses. But they despatched them anyway. He considered this to be a possible route for the infection that lead to AIDS.
Urnovitz had also looked at Gulf War Syndrome. Many soldiers had been required to take up to 17 different vaccines inc: Polio, Cholera, Hepatitis B, Influnza, Anthrax, Plague, Rabies, Tetanus, Yellow Fever and nerve gas. Questions had arisen over vaccine overload and the giving of the Polio vaccine along with others. He asked to what extent the dozen or more vaccines (Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Meningitis, Tetanus and Hepatitis) given to most children by the age of two, actually damaged their immune system over the long term. Could immunisation on this scale be at the root of neurological diseases? He believed the vaccines could set off dangerous latent infections - including HHV-6.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has also been related to AIDS. Blood samples show gene segments of a retrovirus. Interestingly, such fragments were also found in people close to the subjects, in non-sexual contexts like family and friends - and even pets. But overt symptoms of viral infection were absent. Leading him to consider the concept of ‘stealth viruses’ that somehow eluded the immune system. The genetic code of which was similar to a monkey virus. He also detected these stealth viruses in patients with neurological problems: Autism, Attention Deficit, aggressive behaviour disorders, Schizophrenia, Multiple Sclerosis, manic depression, impaired sensory and motor functions and Alzheimers. It seemed that a virus could strike anywhere in the brain to produce the symptoms of a specific disease. ‘A constellation of virally induced nervous system disorders.’
Psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey was beginning to suspect much the same thing. He had also studied whether viruses triggered mental disorders like schizophrenia, bi-polar, mania and depression. Their penchant for nerve tissue making them likely brain-altering culprits. Mood changes and perception distortion being caused by malfunctioning brain cells. They could even stimulate some areas of the brain to cause voices to be heard. He also proposed that infection in particular sites of the brain caused the different ‘diseases’.
Jay Lever, a microbiologist from another Californian lab was becoming increasingly concerned about the toxicity of drugs administered to AIDS patients. Up to 30 pills and injections a day costing 15000 dollars a year. Duesberg had also questioned this practice. He said that many HIV pos patients would not have developed full blown AIDS had they steered clear of ‘highly toxic poisons’ like AZT.
‘Toxic hits’ in the environment are said to undermine the immune system, along with a clustering of immunity challenging behaviour: promiscuity, drinking, stress, smoking, poor diet, recreational and pharmaceutical drug usage. All of which strain the immune system making the reactivation of these viruses more probable.
Scientists - and paharmaceutical companies for that matter - like to lump symptoms/diseases with particular viruses, and give specific drugs accordingly. But its looking increasingly like these symptoms/diseases are mirroring infected areas of the brain.
To sum up this latest theory, the body’s genetic material, having integrated with past - possibly ancient - infectious viruses somehow become stressed and reactivated as retroviruses. These viruses then eat into the brain and nervous system causing the different ‘diseases’. Viral assaults continue until the immune system is overwhelmed by normally harmless infections.
Its at this point that AIDS is diagnosed. Essentially the diagnosis of everything - almost.
That a common Herpes virus could cause all this, and the possibility that HHV-6 may be behind it all and not HIV, is provoking great rifts in the scientific community. Research is difficult to do and grants are thin on the ground. Leaving labs and their well meaning microbiologists to seek out meagre funds from elsewhere. Its notable that pharmaceutical research depts are dragging their heels on work in this area, and societies like Multiple Sclerosis seem hell bent on holding back results of this new research.
So the message seems to be: cut down on the toxic behaviour and hits, down as much ant-viral substances as you can - and CHILL OUT.
Riveting read.
END
CaroleK