Jerry W Simecka wrote:
>>In a nut shell, I would think that any claims at the present time that
>Mycoplasma fermentans (aka incognitus) is a cause of Gulf War Syndrome is
>irresponsible and smacks of "tabloid" science. Especially as this
>particular organisms has been touted as the cause of AIDS, rheumatoid
>arthritis, and other diseases. We do not even know what the incidence of
>this organism is in the normal populations (those without disease). And
>for anyone to claim that this could be used as a biological warfare
>weapon....just doesn't know anything about the area at all. This is
>absurd...nonsense.
Absolutely. At least someone has some critical faculties left. It really
is depressing how many people out there seem to find believing in
conspiracies so easy, without checking whether the science is even possible,
let alone likely. I was once told that scrapie/BSE/Creutzfeld-Jakob disease
has been invented in some dark lab in the States by crossing HIV with visna
virus. Totally sincere, but also totally credulous and totally loopy.
Also, of course, totally incorrect.
David Garnett, DPhil
Department of Medical Biochemistry
University of Stellenbosch Medical School
Cape Town