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Better Health Update #60 - Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist

Biological Warfare

Who would have thought? Who would have ever thought that biological warfare would become the number one health topic in late 2001? Considering this unthinkable scenario is now not only reasonable, but mandatory. We are being flooded with information and possibilities and frankly, paranoia on the subject. Many are living in fear, while others are making what are probably worthless preparations.

Biological warfare, of course, is nothing new. The Assyrians catapulted decaying animal carcasses over the walls into cities under siege. The Romans placed animal corpses into their enemies' water supplies. During the French and Indian War, the British gave smallpox-infected blankets to the Indians. Now it's our turn.
Let's review biological warfare agents, some possible scenarios for their use, and some common sense preparation steps employing natural medicine.

BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS

The most commonly discussed agents are anthrax, smallpox, botulinum, tularemia and plague. Other possibilities include ebola virus and various chemical agents. Transmission methods vary, but generally involve the air your breathe, the food you eat, or the water you drink. Some agents have preventive vaccines; some don't. Some have treatments; some don't. Let's look at the most common:

ANTHRAX

Bacillus anthracis is the bacteria that causes anthrax infection. Animals acquire anthrax from drinking water running off on anthrax contaminated soil, from eating infected carcasses and feeds, or from insect bites. Death is caused by toxemia. It can be prevented with immunization and treated with antibiotics.

Humans may have either an external type of anthrax that is less serious, or a more deadly, internal type in which anthrax spores are inhaled into the lungs. Fortunately, it is not transmissible from person to person. A "battlefield anthrax" has been developed (primarily by the U. S. and former Soviet Union) that is much more virulent. It is fatal within 12 hours without antibiotic treatment.

The Office of Technology Assessment of the U. S. Congress estimated that 130,000 to 3 million deaths could occur following the release of 100 kg. Of aerosolized anthrax over Washington, DC. However, other authorities seriously doubt that anthrax can be extensively used in biological warfare due to technical difficulties. Only the U. S. and Russia have managed to convert anthrax to a powdered form which can be inhaled. The spores have to be just the right size to work. If they're too small, they're just exhaled; if too big, they drop to the ground. In the neighborhood of 10,000 anthrax spores must be inhaled to start an infection.

Extensive centrifuging equipment is necessary to make the anthrax powder pure enough to prevent in from clogging sprayer nozzles. Not just any terrorist can surmount the technical obstacles to effectively dispersing anthrax. The Aum Shinrikyo cult, which released sarin gas into the Tokyo subway system in 1995 killing 12 and injuring thousands, repeatedly failed to successfully use anthrax and other agents.

SMALLPOX

According to the Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies at Johns Hopkins University, smallpox is one of the most significant biological warfare threats. Naturally-occurring smallpox has a fatality rate of 30% or more, and it can spread in any climate. There is no treatment and, unlike anthrax, it is highly contagious.

Smallpox was considered eradicated in 1980, at which time the World Health Assembly recommended that all countries cease vaccination. (As a side note, the late Robert Mendelsohn, M.D., a vocal critic of most vaccinations, notes that smallpox was already on the decline well before the vaccine was widely distributed and given credit.) In any event, around this same time the Soviet Union successfully developed a program to grow smallpox in large quantities for biological warfare purposes. Russia still has a production facility for producing very large quantities of smallpox virus and maintains a research program for producing more contagious and virulent strains.

While the only known samples of smallpox virus are in Russia and the U. S. (under high security), who knows who else might be able to get a hold of it. On the positive side, the virus is not easily grown, plus lab workers culturing it could easily become infected. While it has been speculated that suicide terrorists could infect themselves then breathe around large groups of people spreading the infection, the disease is only infectious for 7-10 days following the rash stage and infection potential varies with the strength of one's immune system.

BOTULINUM

Clostridium botulinum bacteria is the single most poisonous agent known. A number of countries have developed, or are in the process of developing it as a biological warfare agent, according to the U. S. State Department and the Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies. Again, the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan tried unsuccessfully to use botulinum as a terrorist weapon.

Naturally-occurring botulism results from the bacteria getting into the circulation via the digestive tract, lungs, or skin wounds. By disturbing neuron function botulism ultimately leads to muscle paralysis, various neurological symptoms and the need for mechanical respiration.

No cases of waterborne botulism have ever been reported. This is probably due to the large amount that would be needed to significantly affect a water supply, and it's susceptibility to water chlorination. (It should be noted that distillation, which first involves boiling, kills all bacterial and viral organisms without adding the toxicity of chlorine.)

PLAGUE

Plague, the disease caused by the bacteria, Yersinia pestis, has dramatically affected human history. It is believed that 50-60% of the world's population was lost to plague starting in Egypt and spreading from 541-545 A.D. In 1346 the second plague pandemic, the Black Death, killed one-third of the population of Europe and 13 million in China. Modern sanitation and antibiotic availability probably precludes that level of mortality again in developed countries.

In the 1950's and 1960's, both the U. S. and Soviet biological weapons programs developed techniques to disperse plague by aerosol means resulting in pneumonic plague. This form of plague would be extremely lethal and potentially contagious. The World Health Organization estimated that, in a worst case scenario, dispersing 50 kg of Y. pestis as an aerosol cloud over a city of 5 million, could cause 150,000 cases of pneumonic plague, resulting in up to 100,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths.

TULAREMIA

Francisella tularensis is among the most infectious bacteria known. It is extremely infective, with as few as ten organisms required to cause disease. Plus, it's easy to disperse and highly lethal. Tularemia was stockpiled as a biological weapon by the U.S. until 1973, when it was destroyed. The Soviet Union continued production of antibiotic and vaccine resistant strains into the 1990's. Though it can also be dispersed by insect bites, contaminated food or water, or contact with infected animal tissues or fluids, aerosol dissemination is considered the greatest potential problem. A WHO committee estimated in 1970 that 50 kg. dispersed as an aerosol over a city of 5 million would produce 250,000 incapacitating casualties and 19,000 deaths. There is no known person to person transmission. Tularemia responds reasonably well to antibiotic treatment, reducing mortality to 2%.

EBOLA HEMORRHAGIC FEVER

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is one of the most lethal viral diseases known to mankind, with a 50-90% mortality rate. Associated mainly with the jungles of Africa and Asia, Ebola is transmitted through contact with blood, semen, or other secretions, contaminated syringes or handling infected animals. There is no treatment or vaccine. Contact with Ebola is so dangerous that, other than a suicide terrorist, it would be very difficult to deliberately infect large numbers of people.

THE KEY TO TERROR

Many will speculate that it's highly improbable for anthrax or other biological warfare agents to be successfully used to kill large numbers of people. That is irrelevant to their terrorist potential! As I see it, terrorists only have to kill a few people with biological agents to create terror in the masses. Above all else, they want to produce fear. If they can have the populace in a panic over exposure to anthrax or some other biological agent, they've won. They lose if we become educated and make reasonable preparations. In panic many people are making some very bad decisions.

ANTIBIOTIC DANGER

Paranoia over biological warfare has panicked many people into taking Cipro or other antibiotics - drugs they do not need and will cause more harm! Antibiotics are fine if you have a serious infection. But if everybody's taking antibiotics - without indication of serious infection - they simply cause the bacteria to mutate into antibiotic-resistant strains. For example, a study in Scotland found that use of Cipro antibiotic doubled the risk of developing hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a blood infection caused by E. coli. Antibiotic usage allowed more virulent E. coli strains to develop that were antibiotic resistant.

As I regularly share at our seminars and on the radio, indiscriminant taking of antibiotics is practicing a "selective breeding program" to make stronger and stronger germs. This doesn't just affect the individual, either. Too many people taking antibiotics results in antibiotic resistant bacteria being transmitted from person to person. Dr. Stuart Levy, Director of the Center for Adaptation Genetics and Drug Resistance at Tufts University, says, "The real harm is that we will be converting all of the bacteria that are currently treatable to resistance." Dr. Levy cites many conditions, such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections, that are currently treatable with Cipro, could be ineffective in as little as two weeks from large numbers of people using the antibiotic that don't need it. Antibiotics are the most effective when rarely used.

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM SOLUTION

The absolute key to this whole problem is optimizing your immune system. Like any regular disease, it's only those with the weakest immune systems that are severely affected. Possible remedies include:

1. Acidophilus - Putting the right kind of beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract (to replace what you've destroyed with antibiotics) is one of the most important steps to immune enhancement.

2. Colostrum - Bovine colostrum (as effective as human colostrum) is what God provides at birth to fight bacteria, viruses, yeast, fungus and other toxins. It contains immunoglobulins, antibodies, thymus stimulating factors, lactalbumins, growth factors and more to boost immunity. I think it's a must for this situation.

3. Thymus Glandular - Stimulates the body's "command center" for the immune system.

4. Vitamin C - Basic to fighting all types of infection.

5. Vitamin A - Ditto.

6. Garlic - In the diet, but especially as a nutritional supplement, garlic is super for building immunity and fighting infections.

7. Echinacea - Another immune-stimulating herb, but don't use it continuously or it ceases to have benefit.

8. Olive Leaf Extract - My favorite infection-fighting herb.

9. Colloidal Silver - Kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

10. Specific Homeopathic Remedies - Homeopathic dilutions of toxins and disease organisms target foreign invaders without drug side-effects. Individual testing is mandatory.

11. Avoid Refined Sugar - Nothing in your diet suppresses your immune system like refined sugar. Get rid of it!

12. Positive emotions and faith - Trust God and don't surrender to fear. Negative emotions weaken your immune system.

As always, individual testing at the clinic is the best way to custom design a program to optimize your body and its defenses.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.