Hi Trevor:

IMO, it wouldn't be a problem if they had compared and contrasted the two
diseases (AIDS and Johne's), but instead, they tried to link the two for
sensationalization. Nevertheless, it's an interesting comparison.

Most or all cattle seem to have insufficient immune resistance to fight M.
paratuberculosis, but in humans, most but not all humans seem to have
sufficient immune resistance. The general assumption in U.S. healthcare is
that M. paratuberculosis is not pathogenic because it only harms persons
with AIDS. I have a suspicion that other humans besides those infected
with HIV are also susceptible to the disease due to genetic differences or
environmental conditions (diseases, chemical exposures causing liver
damage, etc.). I'm uncomfortable with declaring a bacteria non-pathogenic
because it only affects or kills a minority of persons just as diseases of
early European explorers only caused deadly epidemics in the civilizations
they visited.

I think it's accurate to say that M. paratuberculosis infects macrophages
of the immune system in the various mammals it infects including humans
and that it releases a chemical that prevents macrophages from killing E.
coli. By definition, that would be an acquired immune deficiency but very
different from AIDS as caused by HIV which can effectively wipe out the
immune system.

To be accurate, these stories should also mention that M. paratuberculosis
can also be found in tap water, tide pools, and soil. People should be
told about the increasing prevalence of the disease over the past several
decades and the geographical epidemiologies of M. paratuberculosis,
Johne's, Crohn's Disease, and other possibly related diseases like
Multiple Sclerosis. The articles should explain that epidemiological
parallels don't necessarily signify cause and effect. Disinformation is
often a factor more of what is not said than what is said.

-- Dale

On Sat, 03 May 2008 03:23:46 -0700, Trevor Brinch <tb@...>
wrote:

> Hi Dale,
>
> Message 29 below refers.
>
> I am the Johne's Coordinator in South Africa for the Sheep Disease (OJD).
>
> The article below is unfortunate, in the sense that they are comparing
> OJD to AIDS.
>
> I tried to rectify this disinformation and later articles have been
> changed.
>
> Regards,
>
> Trevor
>
> --- In paratuberculosis@yahoogroups.com, Dale <dale@...> wrote:
>>
>>
>
<http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20080225041030310\
C554637>
>> Sheep Aids hits hundreds of farmers
>>
>> February 25 2008 at 07:22AM
>>
>>
>> By Karen Breytenbach
>>
>> The Department of Agriculture has appealed to Western Cape sheep
> farmers
>> to remain calm in the face of the spread to hundreds of farms of Ovine
>> Johne's Disease, better known as "sheep Aids" because of the
> emaciation it
>> causes.
>>
>> The disease was first detected on 47 farms in Caledon, Ceres and
> Mossel
>> Bay a decade ago, but has slowly spread to hundreds of farms,
> especially
>> in the Caledon area and Southern Cape. Some cases were also reported
> in
>> Cradock in Eastern Cape.
>>
>> But the Western Cape Agriculture Department has moved to reassure
> farmers
>> that their interests would be protected. "The situation is under
> control,
>> we have vets working on it full-time," said spokesperson Alie van
>> Jaarsveld.
>> --
>> Dale
>> <http://DaleRoose.com/>
>> "There are two fundamental errors we could make in post-war Iraq. We
> could
>> stay too long, denying Iraqi sovereignty to a proud and talented
> people
>> who have the human and material resources to build a progressive and
>> modern Arab state..."
>> --Senator John McCain, February 12, 2004
>> 100 years in Iraq "would be fine with me."
>> --Senator John McCain, January 3, 2008
>>
>
>