Sufferers from Lyme Disease have been denied treatment for decades, even though it is a serious disabling disease. For years some activists in the patients' movement have highlighted evidence that the denial was due to a biowarfare cover-up. Now, finally, the British government has revealed that all Lyme blood testing is to be conducted from Porton Down, our top biological warfare facility.
Lyme Disease s a tick-borne illness which can be acquired in woodlands, marshy areas and even the local park. It is often a very serious condition with crushing fatigue, disabling brain symptoms and excruciating pain.
But Lyme Disease patients have been denied treatment for decades, often told that their illness is something else (usually incurable), that is psychosomatic, hypochondria or that they are imagining their symptoms. Sometimes it is labelled M.E./Chronic fatigue syndrome - and still bracketed with psychological illness. Patients are told they cannot walk because they have the wrong thought patterns - it's "all in their head".
For years some in the patients' movement have highlighted evidence that the reason for the denial was due to a biowarfare cover-up - Lyme is a sensitive military issue. Now, finally, the British government has revealed that all Lyme blood testing is to be conducted from Porton Down, our top biological warfare facility.The article below represents the first official admission by a government that Lyme Disease is a biowarfare issue, the most relevant passage being this:
"Through RIPL, RIPD provides reference diagnostic services for dangerous pathogens including viral haemorrhagic fevers, the arbovirus group, hantaviruses, rickettsia and coxiella, anthrax, tularemia and other biothreat agents. The Lyme disease specialist unit is scheduled to be a part of RIPD from 1 April 2012. "
Here is the full article.
Elena Cook
13 May 2012
http://clinicalvirology.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1788&Itemid=984
Rare & Imported Pathogens Department
THURSDAY, 26 APRIL 2012 15:08 SUDHANVA HITS: 74
Rare & Imported Pathogens Department
The Rare & Imported Pathogens Department (RIPD), HPA Microbiology Services is located at Porton Down Salisbury and operates the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), formerly known as the Special Pathogens Reference Unit (SPRU). [The latest RIPL user manual can be found here]
RIPD has 23 staff including two medical consultant microbiologists, a full-time consultant infectious disease physician, a part-time consultant virologist, a dedicated SpR on rotation from University College Hospital, London (UCLH), a part-time clinical scientist and a post-doctoral trainee clinical scientist covering diagnostic work and medical advice for the NHS and other units nationally and internationally. Three dedicated post-doctoral scientists lead specialist research programmes covering diagnostics, vaccine studies ad biosafety. Operational management and a dedicated diagnostic development unit are provided by associated units.
A key programme is the Imported Fever Service, a joint venture between RIPD and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (part of UCLH) and the Royal Liverpool Hospital’s Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit. The department also provides strategic scientific advice and programme support to the Agency and beyond on a wide range of research topics, from vaccine design and development through evaluation of therapeutics to environmental spread of organisms and has three post-doctoral scientists covering this area. Many of the junior staff are studying for PhD or Masters degrees.
Through RIPL, RIPD provides reference diagnostic services for dangerous pathogens including viral haemorrhagic fevers, the arbovirus group, hantaviruses, rickettsia and coxiella, anthrax, tularemia and other biothreat agents. The Lyme disease specialist unit is scheduled to be a part of RIPD from 1 April 2012. RIPD is supported by an active research programme in diagnostics, disease pathogenesis, antimicrobials and antivirals, vaccines, biosafety and biocontainment. Additional resources and a dedicated operational management are currently provided by other groups in Microbiology Services at HPA Porton. RIPD leads a multi-disciplinary Bioresponse team for environmental sampling (e.g. to investigate outbreaks of anthrax or Q fever), and a research nurse working on epidemiological serosurveys. Through the specialist RIPL laboratory within the department, RIPD is a WHO collaborating laboratory for anthrax, VHF’s and arboviruses, and for biosafety. We work at all containment levels up to level 4 (the highest). All current diagnostic methods from culture, IF tests and ELISA to real time PCR are used for routine work, backed up by access to a range of research assays and developmental tests for new agents and unusual diseases (see user manual below).
The departmental staff provide specialist advice related to the management of dangerous pathogens, ranging from the clinical care and treatment through infection control and public health measures, to environmental management and decontamination of affected areas. RIPD staff serve on national and international advisory committees covering all these areas, and also including biosafety, biosecurity and bioterrorism. Between RIPD and other groups at HPA Porton there is an international training programme for dangerous pathogens and infectious diseases, and we have hosted 3 of the 5 workshops held by the G7 nations in this field. We have an active network of collaborators across Europe and the US, Asia and Africa.
RIPL hosts an environmental laboratory testing samples for a range of pathogens from potentially contaminated sites e.g anthrax from construction sites, and have the capability to handle forensic samples when required.
Departmental staff have extensive experience in working with dangerous infectious organisms, in risk assessment and management for infectious agents, and aspects of preventing contamination, environmental sampling and decontamination. This knowledge is used to advise hospital staff on how to apply these principles rationally in their setting to allow both safe and effective working in the interests of patients and carers.
Imported Fever Service
A specialist service for the diagnosis of acute fevers due to travel-related infections, providing:
· Round the clock telephone access to expert clinical and microbiological advice to support patient management, infection control and public health interventions, from referral to delivery and interpretation of final results.
· A single request process for all tests.
· 24 hour on call diagnostic service for viral haemorrhagic fevers and malaria.
· Next working day diagnostic service for a range of other acute fevers.
· Access to these services is available through local consultant microbiologists and infectious disease consultants.
The Imported Fever Service is run by the HPA in partnership with specialist tropical disease units in the NHS in Liverpool and London. The service has close links to HPA Health Protection Services and aims to provide an opportunity for better surveillance, epidemiology and evidence-based management of rare and unusual diseases in the UK.
Expert clinical and microbiological advice
On-call advice will be provided by Infectious Disease Physicians from
· the Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit in Liverpool and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, and
· HPA Consultant Microbiologists from Microbiology Services at Porton, Colindale, Newcastle, Bristol and Manchester.
Diagnostic tests
The Imported Fever Service offers two levels of diagnostic service provision:
· an urgent on call service
· a next working day service.
The urgent on call diagnostic service offers 24 hour molecular testing for viral haemorrhagic fevers and malaria at HPA Porton. A next working day diagnostic service is offered for a comprehensive range of other acute fevers, such as dengue, chikungunya and rickettsia. The user manual has details of the samples to take and routine diagnostic tests available. Note that most tests are offered as part of a panel; the fixed charge (£120 per sample from 1 April 2012) covers the serology tests and PCR tests relevant to the travel history and clinical details provided.
Public engagement
Test results
To maintain the highest standards of medical confidentiality test results are issued only to identifiable hospital clinicians or general practices. Patients should approach the medical practitioner in charge of their case for their results, NOT the laboratory.
Education
RIPD holds occasional open days for schools and may offer work experience for small numbers of suitably qualified applicants. Staff also deliver a variety of lectures nationally and internationally on unusual diseases. Please contact us for more information (
ripl@hpa.org.uk)
The latest RIPL user manual can be found here
But Lyme Disease patients have been denied treatment for decades, often told that their illness is something else (usually incurable), that is psychosomatic, hypochondria or that they are imagining their symptoms. Sometimes it is labelled M.E./Chronic fatigue syndrome - and still bracketed with psychological illness. Patients are told they cannot walk because they have the wrong thought patterns - it's "all in their head".
For years some in the patients' movement have highlighted evidence that the reason for the denial was due to a biowarfare cover-up - Lyme is a sensitive military issue. Now, finally, the British government has revealed that all Lyme blood testing is to be conducted from Porton Down, our top biological warfare facility.The article below represents the first official admission by a government that Lyme Disease is a biowarfare issue, the most relevant passage being this:
"Through RIPL, RIPD provides reference diagnostic services for dangerous pathogens including viral haemorrhagic fevers, the arbovirus group, hantaviruses, rickettsia and coxiella, anthrax, tularemia and other biothreat agents. The Lyme disease specialist unit is scheduled to be a part of RIPD from 1 April 2012. "
Here is the full article.
Elena Cook
13 May 2012
http://clinicalvirology.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1788&Itemid=984 Rare & Imported Pathogens Department
THURSDAY, 26 APRIL 2012 15:08 SUDHANVA HITS: 74
Rare & Imported Pathogens Department
The Rare & Imported Pathogens Department (RIPD), HPA Microbiology Services is located at Porton Down Salisbury and operates the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), formerly known as the Special Pathogens Reference Unit (SPRU). [The latest RIPL user manual can be found here]
RIPD has 23 staff including two medical consultant microbiologists, a full-time consultant infectious disease physician, a part-time consultant virologist, a dedicated SpR on rotation from University College Hospital, London (UCLH), a part-time clinical scientist and a post-doctoral trainee clinical scientist covering diagnostic work and medical advice for the NHS and other units nationally and internationally. Three dedicated post-doctoral scientists lead specialist research programmes covering diagnostics, vaccine studies ad biosafety. Operational management and a dedicated diagnostic development unit are provided by associated units.
A key programme is the Imported Fever Service, a joint venture between RIPD and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases (part of UCLH) and the Royal Liverpool Hospital’s Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit. The department also provides strategic scientific advice and programme support to the Agency and beyond on a wide range of research topics, from vaccine design and development through evaluation of therapeutics to environmental spread of organisms and has three post-doctoral scientists covering this area. Many of the junior staff are studying for PhD or Masters degrees.
Through RIPL, RIPD provides reference diagnostic services for dangerous pathogens including viral haemorrhagic fevers, the arbovirus group, hantaviruses, rickettsia and coxiella, anthrax, tularemia and other biothreat agents. The Lyme disease specialist unit is scheduled to be a part of RIPD from 1 April 2012. RIPD is supported by an active research programme in diagnostics, disease pathogenesis, antimicrobials and antivirals, vaccines, biosafety and biocontainment. Additional resources and a dedicated operational management are currently provided by other groups in Microbiology Services at HPA Porton. RIPD leads a multi-disciplinary Bioresponse team for environmental sampling (e.g. to investigate outbreaks of anthrax or Q fever), and a research nurse working on epidemiological serosurveys. Through the specialist RIPL laboratory within the department, RIPD is a WHO collaborating laboratory for anthrax, VHF’s and arboviruses, and for biosafety. We work at all containment levels up to level 4 (the highest). All current diagnostic methods from culture, IF tests and ELISA to real time PCR are used for routine work, backed up by access to a range of research assays and developmental tests for new agents and unusual diseases (see user manual below).
The departmental staff provide specialist advice related to the management of dangerous pathogens, ranging from the clinical care and treatment through infection control and public health measures, to environmental management and decontamination of affected areas. RIPD staff serve on national and international advisory committees covering all these areas, and also including biosafety, biosecurity and bioterrorism. Between RIPD and other groups at HPA Porton there is an international training programme for dangerous pathogens and infectious diseases, and we have hosted 3 of the 5 workshops held by the G7 nations in this field. We have an active network of collaborators across Europe and the US, Asia and Africa.
RIPL hosts an environmental laboratory testing samples for a range of pathogens from potentially contaminated sites e.g anthrax from construction sites, and have the capability to handle forensic samples when required.
Departmental staff have extensive experience in working with dangerous infectious organisms, in risk assessment and management for infectious agents, and aspects of preventing contamination, environmental sampling and decontamination. This knowledge is used to advise hospital staff on how to apply these principles rationally in their setting to allow both safe and effective working in the interests of patients and carers.
Imported Fever Service
A specialist service for the diagnosis of acute fevers due to travel-related infections, providing:
· Round the clock telephone access to expert clinical and microbiological advice to support patient management, infection control and public health interventions, from referral to delivery and interpretation of final results.
· A single request process for all tests.
· 24 hour on call diagnostic service for viral haemorrhagic fevers and malaria.
· Next working day diagnostic service for a range of other acute fevers.
· Access to these services is available through local consultant microbiologists and infectious disease consultants.
The Imported Fever Service is run by the HPA in partnership with specialist tropical disease units in the NHS in Liverpool and London. The service has close links to HPA Health Protection Services and aims to provide an opportunity for better surveillance, epidemiology and evidence-based management of rare and unusual diseases in the UK.
Expert clinical and microbiological advice
On-call advice will be provided by Infectious Disease Physicians from
· the Tropical and Infectious Diseases Unit in Liverpool and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, and
· HPA Consultant Microbiologists from Microbiology Services at Porton, Colindale, Newcastle, Bristol and Manchester.
Diagnostic tests
The Imported Fever Service offers two levels of diagnostic service provision:
· an urgent on call service
· a next working day service.
The urgent on call diagnostic service offers 24 hour molecular testing for viral haemorrhagic fevers and malaria at HPA Porton. A next working day diagnostic service is offered for a comprehensive range of other acute fevers, such as dengue, chikungunya and rickettsia. The user manual has details of the samples to take and routine diagnostic tests available. Note that most tests are offered as part of a panel; the fixed charge (£120 per sample from 1 April 2012) covers the serology tests and PCR tests relevant to the travel history and clinical details provided.
Public engagement
Test results
To maintain the highest standards of medical confidentiality test results are issued only to identifiable hospital clinicians or general practices. Patients should approach the medical practitioner in charge of their case for their results, NOT the laboratory.
Education
RIPD holds occasional open days for schools and may offer work experience for small numbers of suitably qualified applicants. Staff also deliver a variety of lectures nationally and internationally on unusual diseases. Please contact us for more information (
ripl@hpa.org.uk) The latest RIPL user manual can be found here
e-mail:
Homepage:
Comments
Hide the following 8 comments
Maybe not
14.05.2012 00:34
Note that while Lyme can certainly be debilitating that's usually years after initial infection. The initial symtoms are trivial and painless**, easily overlooked. Then maybe six months or more later a secondary illness which is when most folks get diagnosed. Years later for those tertiary symptoms of untreated Lyme. Sorry, but a disease that takes years to make the enemy ill isn't what the bioweapon folks look for.
Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks. The best prevention is to inspect each other thorughly after exposure to ticks and remove any found promptly. Can be fun (the inspection). Best way to remove is with tick removers (look like minature nail pullers, come in different sizes for the different size tick species). Slip between skin and tick body and rotate to unscrew the tick. But if you don't have one of these get the tick out however you can and a head left behind isn't the end of the world.
PS: Just over 100 miles from here to Lyme CT. And at the moment we are at the heeight of tick season and they are VERY bad this year.
* You can find this in rodents all over the world but tranference to humans tends to happen only in a few places, generally very dry and dusty like around "Four Corners" here in the US. There are many diseases that although widespread in animals humans tned to catch only in certain places.
MDN
Maybe Yes
16.05.2012 10:59
Firstly, the haemorrhagic fevers like Ebola and Marburg most definitely ARE bioweapons:
"The two viruses considered to be the greatest bioterrorism threats are Ebola and Marburg, the two members of the filovirus family, which are categorized as category A bioweapon agents. These viruses characteristically cause high mortality and morbidity, are person to person spread, are highly infectious at a low dose by the aerosol route, are stable in the environment, and large-scale production is feasible."
Source:
Secondly, Lyme is not an "imported" pathogen, according to the public health agencies, anyway. British researchers claim to have found its DNA in museum ticks going back a century and more.
As for your point that bioweaponeers would not be interested in a weapon which took a long time to deliver its full payload of illness, again you are wrong. Just as there are different types of guns for different purposes, there are different bioweapons for different military aims.
When the US launched a covert biological weapons strike against Cuba using the African Swine Fever virus, it took 6 weeks before the attack became apparent.
Ample time for the perpetrators to escape, and if the intrusion of anti-Castro guerillas had been noted by the Cuban government, the long time interval would have made it harder to connect event A with event B (ie the destruction of half a million pigs). Sometimes those who launch weapons do not want the enemy to realise they have actually been attacked; they hope the epidemic will be mistaken for a natural outbreak.
However in this case the truth came out. See:
San Francisco Chronicle 10jan1977
There is NO DOUBT that Lyme disease is a bioweapon, and that is why it is being studied at Porton. Just check out the patents of people like JJ Dunn and Raymond Dattwyler , for example, which specifically demonstrate that the Lyme bacteria is a base for bioweapons and bioweapon detection systems.
Elena Cook
ps Lyme being studied at Porton Down is NOT new. It has been studied there for a long time, despite the lies our government told Parliament re this question.
Elena Cook
e-mail:
elena444cook@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
www.elenacook.org
Thoughts on last comment
06.09.2012 00:43
In that case then what would be your *definition* of a bioweapon Elenor? For instance what property would disqualify an illness from consideration as a bioweapon?
"British researchers claim to have found its DNA in museum ticks going back a century and more."
And the disease in humans is quite a bit older than that. Try 53 centuries as a minimum:
"
DW
Lyme Disease has the Characteristics of a Biowarfare Agent
06.11.2012 20:25
A microbe that is easily destroyed by the immune system and antibiotics would be useless.
Lyme borrelia are well known to survive these things.
A microbe that is very easily detectable would not make a good bio-agent.
Borrelia assume different morphological and antigenic forms that can be very hard to detect, and can be almost completely undetectable with the testing protocol used by mainstream labs in most countries, including the UK.
The first paper showing that Lyme survives in biofilms in vitro has just been published by Sapi, Macdonald et al and is avaialble on PloS One.
From New Haven University press release:
"Run by a non-profit corporation, PLOS ONE (The Public Library of Science ONE), publishes primary science research. The paper is available online at:
The paper notes that Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is continuously rearranging its structure. It can transform itself from motile spirochetes into cystic, granular or cell wall deficient forms even when it is in an unfavorable environment.....
"....Her previous research showed that aggregates of Borrelia are very resistant to the antibiotics commonly used for Lyme disease treatment. The new research showed that those aggregates are indeed true biofilms which are well-documented as resistant to unfavorable conditions and to antibiotics."
As for your other point, anthrax is as ancient as any historical mummy. Would you say that anthrax is not a bioweapon?
Elena
Elena Cook
e-mail:
elena444cook@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
www.elenacook.org
will the PCT not help us?
29.12.2012 23:29
Cat & dog fleas. The HPA know that electropollution is associated with tick. I found an artical I read was that American military scientists were microwaving Tick to kill their preditors. Then delibratly lacying them with Lyme. Then spraying the out back to keep people out. A similar thing is happening here in the UK. It may or may not be delibrate? I've seen it with my own eyes. A microwave transmitter was put near my house in 2005. Huchinson G3. The company should of done a servay to see if there was any electrosensitves in the area. It was tree height therefore did't need planing permission. The trees have died back since. I observed that the wildlife died out within 6 to 9 months. It was a conservation area run by the local council. Then they could not afford to do it. There were butterflies bees and wasps galore. Then they were gone. I tried English Nature. Said they had no problems with transmitters on their reserves. Not then maybe. In the last few years I heared different. Microwave transmitters are associated with insect
loss. I observed the population around my house was no more. The only other thing was I was being bitten. I had two nasty bites either side of my spine. My legs and my back the nerves became very painful I left it a week before I saw my GP. Both my cats were very I'll. I was given antibiotics so were my cats. I had a positive test from a lab in Holland. My doctor treated me. For months I was covered in bites. I even took a tick to my gp. They were still in denial. One of my gp's used what's called quantum healing or radionics without my permission. Developed as a weapon in the 1900's. Its used to heal Lyme and other things. I reported them to the standards health care commission. They did nothing. I have reported it to the Health Obusman. Biochemical and electrical weapons are used in combination. The government and the drug industry plan to control us. In the USA every child has a servay done. They have about 90% of their children on psychdrugs . Which don't make things better. There's a human rights organisation involve. The Uk is heading that way. Where every disease is treated with psych drugs. Cancer ME and Ms have been diagnosed as well as Lyme Disease as psychosomatic.
asuffer
e-mail:
carol.rae155@btinternet.com
Lyme is a hallucigen combined with NLP or Drugs
01.01.2013 01:00
The drugs industry and govenments have been at it for years.
someone else
US Govt Scientist Admits he Pretended to be a Lyme Patient to Promote CDC Lies
29.08.2013 17:03
The CDC, a so-called public health agency which is ultimately subservient to the military apparatus (EIS) that runs it, has done everything in its power for years to cover-up the Lyme epidemic and pretend that chronic Lyme disease does not exist.
After I challenged him, McSweegan, who used the name "LHCTom" and "Tom Eames" on internet forums, revealed himself on the forum Lyme Net, as you can see here :
(Som of his posts have since been deleted by him.)
Dr Barbara Johnson of CDC had published a paper claiming that the Sapi test, marketed by Advanced Laboratory in Pennsylvania, was of dubious value and that Dr Sapi's results were due to lab contamination of patients' blood cultures with strains of Borrelia held as controls.
In fact, all the work had been done in two phases, in two different labs. The control lab strains were in Dr Sapi's lab in Connnecticut, while the patient blood samples were cultured 200 miles away in Pennsylvania!
Johnson also used dishonest methods to mislead doctors unfamiliar with genetic analysis tools, claiming that she had sequenced a region of the pyrG gene of the control strains, and found that virtually all Dr Sapi's cultured bacteria from patient blood was genetically identical to the corresponding gene portion in the lab strains.
What she did not mention was that Dr Sapi's cultured Borrelia were also identical to many other strains too, which have nothing to do with the lab strains.
Johnson listed 3 reference numbers of new DNA sequences which she said she had discovered in the control strains and deposited in Genbank, an internationally used central bank for DNA sequences.
In fact scientists who searched for these reference numbers in Genbank have found that, at the time of writing, there is nothing listed under those ref numbers!
This corrupt move is yet another attempt to preserve the shameful US-government organised coverup which has now hurt MILLIONS of people around the world with undiagnosed and/or untreated Borrelia infections.
Elena Cook
www.elenacook.org
Nb We should not make allegations for which there is no evidence. There is no evidence that the US Dept of Defense deliberately released weaponised Borrelia on its own people. That is absurd in my opinion. There IS, however, plenty of evidence showing that the Lyme Disease coverup is related to the fact that Borrelia is a militarily sensitive, biowarfare issue. McSweegan is a biowar scientist, as are the core of the EIS which controls the CDC. American (and other) biowarfare labs have a history of shockingly unsafe practices that have endangered us all.
Elena Cook
e-mail:
elena444cook@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
www.elenacook.org
Who Says...
28.11.2014 07:50
A biological weapon? Yes I think Lyme Disease is, but who said it was for 'a foreign enemy'?
(Note: I do believe Borrelia to be naturally occurring, that isn't to say it hasn't been weaponised).
A biological weapon with these unique characteristics is ideally suited to carry out population culls. Not as a weapon to inflict the most damage in the shortest period of time.
It's no secret that many scientists have been advising governments for years that the world population is way too high to sustain. It goes without saying that they need a way to cull humans on the quiet. Lyme Disease goes one step further, because it makes drug companies 100's of billions a year treating 'all' the symptoms while not curing the underlying illness.
How much coverup does there have to be before people remove their head's from their bottoms? - Sadly, most people will never accept such possibilities as they cannot accept the reality that their own governments would even consider such a thing! How pathetic, even when history has shown us how horrendous humans can be...
Daniel f.