But if something is bioaccumulated I would hardly expect to see seasonal
variability.
There are many agents, which might also include Rabies that results in
"extensive destruction in the cerebral and cortices, the midbrain, basal
ganglia," etc. [Burrows Textbook of Microbiology]. Given that cows show
dumb Rabies, has anyone even considered this as a possibility and checked
for its presence???
I think that there is the potential to do a major research project to
determine the exact problem. It might be a worthy idea to put together an
international team of researchers, and submit a proposal to the U.N. to
study the problem. The team should have a biochemist, an epidemiologist,
a virologist, a vet, an M.D., and a prion expert on it. I have other
ideas on this subject, but don't have the time to go into it in detail now.
Without hard data, and extensive study, the risk run is that every death
is due to BSE when in fact it might be due to something else.
Anyway it is something to think about...
Robert H. Ruskin, M.Sc.
Environmental Microbiologist
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