Hi Dale
How are you? Thank you for doing all this research. I really
appreciate it.  Let me know how you are keeping, okay? Diane Fagen,
www.crohnscanada.org

Diane:

I've been doing quite a bit better since doctors at the University
Washington in Seattle began taking my Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency
seriously and prescribed a megadose of Vitamin D.

For years, I've been getting pneumonitis and flu-like illness every winter
and nobody could explain it. Doctors would prescribe an antibiotic and
assume that I would get better even though they were ineffective. So
here's my hypothesis:

Vitamin D is now known to be a strong immune modulator in that it reduces
immune response. At least one major study found a strong association
between Multiple Sclerosis--an autoimmune disease--and low levels of
Vitamin D. In my case, I suspect that chronic low levels of Vitamin D
allowed my immune system to become overactive resulting in chronic
systemic inflammation. The inflammation allowed opportunistic infections
  from pathogens such as paratuberculosis which usually only affect humans
when they are immune deficient.

I'm normally sick by October but this year I'm not. Still, it's far too
early to see how I'll fare through the winter.

BTW, most of the doctors I'd seen previously denied the possibility that I
could have low levels of Vitamin D because I didn't have Rickets. It turns
out, I had osteopenia in my lower back and lab tests indicated low levels
of Vitamin D which could have expleined the osteopenia, but they didn't
know any of this becauce they wouldn't order the tests since I didn't have
Rickets.

The general assumption by the medical community is that low Vitamin D is
caused only by malabsorption in the intestines, specifically the terminal
ileum where Vitamin D is primarily absorbed. My problem getting the low
Vitamin D taken seriously was compounded by the fact that a
gastroenterologist could find nothing seriously wrong in my intestines to
explain an apparent gluten hypersensitivity and/or Crohn's disase. There
is, however, another apparently extremely rare condition in the liver that
could explain low serum Vitamin D in the absence of intestinal
malabsorption. After being absorbed, Vitamin D has to be hydroxylated in
the liver before it can be used in by body tissues. If the liver is
missing the specific enzyme responsible as happens in rare cases due to a
genetic defect, the Vitamin D will be absorbed as raw Vitamin D but will
never appear in lab tests because they look only for Vitamin D in the
forms of 25(OH)D2 or 25(OH)D3 which are the hydroxylated forms.

Anyway, we'll see how it goes.

-- Dale
<http://DaleRoose.com/>

On Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:41:30 -0700, Diane Fagen <dianef84@...>
wrote:

> Hi Dale
>
> Thank you so much for emailing me this article, I have already posted it
> to my website, www.crohnscanada.org
>
> How are you doing healthwise, I hope you are alright.  Anyways take
> care. Diane
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Dale Roose
>   To: paratuberculosis@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 1:35 PM
>   Subject: [paratuberculosis] FWD: Pathogen That Causes Disease In
> Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease
>
>
>   <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144309.htm>
>   Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's
> Disease
>
>   ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2008) — People with Crohn's disease (CD) are
>   seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that
>   causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The
>   role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research
>   priority, according to a new report released by the American Academy of
>   Microbiology.
>
>   The reports points out that the cause of CD is unknown, and the
> possible
>   role of this bacterium—which could conceivably be passed up the food
> chain
>   to people—has received too little attention from the research
> community.
>
>   The report, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis: Incidental Human
>   Pathogen or Public Health Threat?, summarizes conclusions and
>   recommendations from a colloquium convened by the American Academy of
>   Microbiology in June 2007 that brought together experts in
> microbiology,
>   medicine, veterinary pathology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and
>   food safety. Colloquium participants described the state of knowledge
>   about the relationship between Mycobacterium avium subspecies
>   paratuberculosis (MAP) and CD and developed a research agenda to move
> the
>   field forward.
>
>   Scientists largely agree that multiple factors cause CD, including an
>   environmental stimulus, a genetic propensity, and an overactive
>   inflammatory and immune system triggered by an unknown event. There is
>   mounting evidence that the unknown trigger may be infectious in origin,
>   with several bacteria currently under consideration. "This complicated
>   network of causation has confounded efforts to understand CD, says
> Carol
>   Nacy, Ph.D., CEO of Sequella, Inc., who chaired the colloquium and is
> the
>   report's co-author. "MAP may be one of the causes of CD," Nacy adds,
>   "since, among other things, multiple studies identified the pathogen in
>   tissues of CD patients. Treating some of these patients with
> antibiotics
>   that target Mycobacteria provided relief from symptoms."
>
>   Johne's disease is a severe and fatal bacterial infection that strikes
>   cattle, sheep, and other livestock. MAP has long been identified as the
>   cause of Johne's disease. Despite efforts to limit the spread of MAP,
>   roughly 68% of cattle herds in this country are infected, meaning one
> or
>   more animals in the herd carry the bacterium and may develop Johne's
>   disease or spread the infection to other animals. MAP has been found in
>   some dairy products—milk and cheese—and beef on supermarket shelves.
>
>   The critical steps for research now, according to the report, are to
>   determine whether humans are exposed and infected with MAP by eating
>   infected meat and dairy products and whether MAP causes or incites CD
> or
>   whether it is only incidentally present in those afflicted with the
>   disease. The prospect that MAP could play a role in the incitement or
>   development of CD is a sobering one, and, once the situation becomes
>   clearer through research, there could be important changes in store for
>   agriculture, food safety, and public health. It is in the best
> interest of
>   the public that the possible connection between MAP and CD be explored
>   exhaustively, according to the report.
>
>   The research agenda, however, is seriously hampered by the lack of
>   reliable methods for isolating and indentifying MAP and for diagnosing
>   people with MAP infection. Public health laboratories and U.S. Centers
> for
>   Disease Control and Prevention laboratories have made it clear they
> cannot
>   grow MAP in the laboratory—an inability that hinders diagnosis and
>   screening. The report recommends establishment of a task force to
> develop
>   a specific road map for improved methods for MAP detection and
> diagnosis.
>
>

----- Original Message -----

From: Dale Roose

To: paratuberculosis@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, August 15, 2008 1:35 PM

Subject: [paratuberculosis] FWD: Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144309.htm>
Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease

ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2008) — People with Crohn's disease (CD) are
seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that
causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The
role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research
priority, according to a new report released by the American Academy of
Microbiology.

The reports points out that the cause of CD is unknown, and the possible
role of this bacterium—which could conceivably be passed up the food chain
to people—has received too little attention from the research community.

The report, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis: Incidental Human
Pathogen or Public Health Threat?, summarizes conclusions and
recommendations from a colloquium convened by the American Academy of
Microbiology in June 2007 that brought together experts in microbiology,
medicine, veterinary pathology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and
food safety. Colloquium participants described the state of knowledge
about the relationship between Mycobacterium avium subspecies
paratuberculosis (MAP) and CD and developed a research agenda to move the
field forward.

Scientists largely agree that multiple factors cause CD, including an
environmental stimulus, a genetic propensity, and an overactive
inflammatory and immune system triggered by an unknown event. There is
mounting evidence that the unknown trigger may be infectious in origin,
with several bacteria currently under consideration. "This complicated
network of causation has confounded efforts to understand CD, says Carol
Nacy, Ph.D., CEO of Sequella, Inc., who chaired the colloquium and is the
report's co-author. "MAP may be one of the causes of CD," Nacy adds,
"since, among other things, multiple studies identified the pathogen in
tissues of CD patients. Treating some of these patients with antibiotics
that target Mycobacteria provided relief from symptoms."

Johne's disease is a severe and fatal bacterial infection that strikes
cattle, sheep, and other livestock. MAP has long been identified as the
cause of Johne's disease. Despite efforts to limit the spread of MAP,
roughly 68% of cattle herds in this country are infected, meaning one or
more animals in the herd carry the bacterium and may develop Johne's
disease or spread the infection to other animals. MAP has been found in
some dairy products—milk and cheese—and beef on supermarket shelves.

The critical steps for research now, according to the report, are to
determine whether humans are exposed and infected with MAP by eating
infected meat and dairy products and whether MAP causes or incites CD or
whether it is only incidentally present in those afflicted with the
disease. The prospect that MAP could play a role in the incitement or
development of CD is a sobering one, and, once the situation becomes
clearer through research, there could be important changes in store for
agriculture, food safety, and public health. It is in the best interest of
the public that the possible connection between MAP and CD be explored
exhaustively, according to the report.

The research agenda, however, is seriously hampered by the lack of
reliable methods for isolating and indentifying MAP and for diagnosing
people with MAP infection. Public health laboratories and U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention laboratories have made it clear they cannot
grow MAP in the laboratory—an inability that hinders diagnosis and
screening. The report recommends establishment of a task force to develop
a specific road map for improved methods for MAP detection and diagnosis.

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<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/New_disease_comes_to_city_/articlesh\
ow/3515890.cms>

THE TIMES OF INDIA

New disease comes to city

CHENNAI: Balaji Subramanian (25), who works in a BPO in Chennai, had no
clue how he ended up with incessant abdominal pain, loose motion and blood
in stool. He doesn't eat street food, and insists on bottled water even
when he dines in a star hotel . Worse, even doctors didn't have a reason
for several months. After a couple of wrong diagnoses - ulcers due to
acidity and then tuberculosis of the intestine - Subramanian was found to
suffer from Crohn's disease.

A relatively new disease that affects teenagers and young adults, Crohn's
is making its presence felt in Indian cities. While diabetes is no longer
considered a disorder of only the wealthy city dweller, Crohn's , though
of much lesser prevalence, virtually takes its place as a disease that
exclusively affects the young (15-30 years), hygienic urbanite.

Seventy five years after it was first reported in the US, at least four
consortia of experts in three continents are struggling to pinpoint the
real cause of the disease. In the US, the prevalence is 148 per 100,000
people. Indians adopting western lifestyles and food habits is suspected
to be the reason for the disease showing up here.
"Ten years ago, we saw hardly one or two cases of Crohn's a year. Now, we
get more than two cases a month," says Dr R Surendran, head of the
department of surgical gastroenterology at Stanley Medical College. Being
a referral hospital which does research on Crohn's , Christian Medical
College, Vellore, gets five times more patients.

"We diagnose at least five Crohn's cases every fortnight . In the absence
of a registry , we don't know the actual prevalence of the disease . But
it is every gastroenterologist's gut feeling that Crohn's cases are on the
rise. For reasons under study, most of the patients are from well to do
families with good hygiene and modern food habits," says Dr B S
Ramakrishna , a gastroenterologist at CMC.

There have been several theories about the cause, most of them related to
modern lifestyle, including junk food, refrigeration and high levels of
hygiene. While some consider it an autoimmune disease (the body attacking
its own cells), others doubt if it is caused by a microbe that continues
to remain elusive.
A CMC team led by Dr Ramakrishna is doing research on the possible genetic
reasons of the disease. The CMC team is studying the 'hygiene hypothesis,'
which puts people with better hygiene at a higher risk of contracting
Crohn's .

Here is the logic: Better hygiene means the body is not used to many
pathogens and hence likely to have an inert immune system. And that
explains why some Western countries are trying to contain Crohn's disease
using eggs of worms generally found in Indians owing to lack of hygiene.

Dr Rosie Vennila, microbiologist at Stanley Medical College, disagrees
with the hygiene hypothesis. "There could be a harmful microbe causing the
disease or a harmless microbe that triggers an autoimmune reaction , but
we are not sure which one does that. The human gut has several billions of
them and it is a laborious task to pinpoint it. We do have some suspects,
like the tubercle bacillus, but we haven't yet got the culprit," she says.

Diagnosis (often biopsy) of the disease is difficult as the symptoms are
the same as those of tuberculosis (TB) that affects the gut, including
lesions in the intestine which leads to bleeding. Treatment of the
disease, using steroids and anti-cancer drugs, has its side effects. While
long term treatment using steroids can cause degeneration of bones,
extended use of anti-cancer drugs can pose the threat of cancer.

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144309.htm>

Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease

ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2008) — People with Crohn's disease (CD) are
seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that
causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The
role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research
priority, according to a new report released by the American Academy of
Microbiology.

The reports points out that the cause of CD is unknown, and the possible
role of this bacterium—which could conceivably be passed up the food chain
to people—has received too little attention from the research community.

The report, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis: Incidental Human
Pathogen or Public Health Threat?, summarizes conclusions and
recommendations from a colloquium convened by the American Academy of
Microbiology in June 2007 that brought together experts in microbiology,
medicine, veterinary pathology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and
food safety. Colloquium participants described the state of knowledge
about the relationship between Mycobacterium avium subspecies
paratuberculosis (MAP) and CD and developed a research agenda to move the
field forward.

Scientists largely agree that multiple factors cause CD, including an
environmental stimulus, a genetic propensity, and an overactive
inflammatory and immune system triggered by an unknown event. There is
mounting evidence that the unknown trigger may be infectious in origin,
with several bacteria currently under consideration. "This complicated
network of causation has confounded efforts to understand CD, says Carol
Nacy, Ph.D., CEO of Sequella, Inc., who chaired the colloquium and is the
report's co-author. "MAP may be one of the causes of CD," Nacy adds,
"since, among other things, multiple studies identified the pathogen in
tissues of CD patients. Treating some of these patients with antibiotics
that target Mycobacteria provided relief from symptoms."

Johne's disease is a severe and fatal bacterial infection that strikes
cattle, sheep, and other livestock. MAP has long been identified as the
cause of Johne's disease. Despite efforts to limit the spread of MAP,
roughly 68% of cattle herds in this country are infected, meaning one or
more animals in the herd carry the bacterium and may develop Johne's
disease or spread the infection to other animals. MAP has been found in
some dairy products—milk and cheese—and beef on supermarket shelves.

The critical steps for research now, according to the report, are to
determine whether humans are exposed and infected with MAP by eating
infected meat and dairy products and whether MAP causes or incites CD or
whether it is only incidentally present in those afflicted with the
disease. The prospect that MAP could play a role in the incitement or
development of CD is a sobering one, and, once the situation becomes
clearer through research, there could be important changes in store for
agriculture, food safety, and public health. It is in the best interest of
the public that the possible connection between MAP and CD be explored
exhaustively, according to the report.

The research agenda, however, is seriously hampered by the lack of
reliable methods for isolating and indentifying MAP and for diagnosing
people with MAP infection. Public health laboratories and U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention laboratories have made it clear they cannot
grow MAP in the laboratory—an inability that hinders diagnosis and
screening. The report recommends establishment of a task force to develop
a specific road map for improved methods for MAP detection and diagnosis.

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144309.htm>
Pathogen That Causes Disease In Cattle Also Associated With Crohn's Disease

ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2008) — People with Crohn's disease (CD) are
seven-fold more likely to have in their gut tissues the bacterium that
causes a digestive-tract disease in cattle called Johne's disease. The
role this bacterium may or may not play in causing CD is a top research
priority, according to a new report released by the American Academy of
Microbiology.

The reports points out that the cause of CD is unknown, and the possible
role of this bacterium—which could conceivably be passed up the food chain
to people—has received too little attention from the research community.

The report, Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis: Incidental Human
Pathogen or Public Health Threat?, summarizes conclusions and
recommendations from a colloquium convened by the American Academy of
Microbiology in June 2007 that brought together experts in microbiology,
medicine, veterinary pathology, epidemiology, infectious diseases, and
food safety. Colloquium participants described the state of knowledge
about the relationship between Mycobacterium avium subspecies
paratuberculosis (MAP) and CD and developed a research agenda to move the
field forward.

Scientists largely agree that multiple factors cause CD, including an
environmental stimulus, a genetic propensity, and an overactive
inflammatory and immune system triggered by an unknown event. There is
mounting evidence that the unknown trigger may be infectious in origin,
with several bacteria currently under consideration. "This complicated
network of causation has confounded efforts to understand CD, says Carol
Nacy, Ph.D., CEO of Sequella, Inc., who chaired the colloquium and is the
report's co-author. "MAP may be one of the causes of CD," Nacy adds,
"since, among other things, multiple studies identified the pathogen in
tissues of CD patients. Treating some of these patients with antibiotics
that target Mycobacteria provided relief from symptoms."

Johne's disease is a severe and fatal bacterial infection that strikes
cattle, sheep, and other livestock. MAP has long been identified as the
cause of Johne's disease. Despite efforts to limit the spread of MAP,
roughly 68% of cattle herds in this country are infected, meaning one or
more animals in the herd carry the bacterium and may develop Johne's
disease or spread the infection to other animals. MAP has been found in
some dairy products—milk and cheese—and beef on supermarket shelves.

The critical steps for research now, according to the report, are to
determine whether humans are exposed and infected with MAP by eating
infected meat and dairy products and whether MAP causes or incites CD or
whether it is only incidentally present in those afflicted with the
disease. The prospect that MAP could play a role in the incitement or
development of CD is a sobering one, and, once the situation becomes
clearer through research, there could be important changes in store for
agriculture, food safety, and public health. It is in the best interest of
the public that the possible connection between MAP and CD be explored
exhaustively, according to the report.

The research agenda, however, is seriously hampered by the lack of
reliable methods for isolating and indentifying MAP and for diagnosing
people with MAP infection. Public health laboratories and U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention laboratories have made it clear they cannot
grow MAP in the laboratory—an inability that hinders diagnosis and
screening. The report recommends establishment of a task force to develop
a specific road map for improved methods for MAP detection and diagnosis.

<http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0397376.htm>

Given Imaging Receives Permanent Medicare Funding for PillCam(R) SB in
Australia

Funding Application Supported by Largest Body of Clinical Data on PillCam
Capsule Endoscopy
May 15, 2008: 12:00 AM EST

Given Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ: GIVN) today announced that the Australian
Government Department of Health and Ageing has approved permanent Medicare
funding for capsule endoscopy of the small bowel. Capsule endoscopy has
been interim Medicare funded in Australia subject to data collection since
May 2004. Medicare is the scheme that gives all Australian residents
access to subsidized health care.

The Australian PillCam database was developed and supported by members of
the Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) in collaboration with
Given Imaging and resulted in a database of 2,949 patients. This data set
is the largest body of data ever accumulated on PillCam SB� and the
largest data set ever submitted to the Medical Services Advisory Committee
(MSAC). MSAC is the committee that advises the Australian Federal Minister
for Health and Ageing on the safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of
new medical procedures and technologies.

"We are pleased to receive permanent Medicare funding for PillCam SB in
Australia, which is an important milestone for Given Imaging," said Homi
Shamir, president and CEO of Given Imaging. "Importantly, it reflects the
successful collaboration between our company, the GI community and the
Australian Government to ensure that such decisions are based on clinical
evidence that demonstrated PillCam's safety, efficacy and
cost-effectiveness. We thank the Australian Gastroenterological Society
for their leadership in this process and look forward to working with them
in order to obtain reimbursement for additional indications for PillCam SB
in the future."

Some of the key findings from the database include:

1.  A finding of GI abnormalities in 71.1% of patients (compared to the
      59.9% assumed in MSAC Assessment Report #1057, based on clinical trial
      data);
2.  An estimated average cost reduction of AUD 2,667 per patient in other
      investigational procedures including colonoscopy, enteroscopy and
      small bowel follow through in the 12 months following PillCam capsule
      endoscopy;
3.  Cost savings, based on a reduction in hospitalisation rates from 44.6%
      in the year prior to PillCam capsule endoscopy to 11.6% in the year
      post PillCam capsule endoscopy.


The company intends to work with the GI community to continue to analyze
the database and submit studies for presentation at future medical society
conferences.

About Given Imaging Ltd.

Given Imaging is redefining gastrointestinal diagnosis by developing,
producing and marketing innovative, patient-friendly products for
detecting gastrointestinal disorders. The company's technology platform is
the PillCam� Platform, featuring the PillCam video capsule, a disposable,
miniature video camera contained in a capsule, which is ingested by the
patient, a sensor array, data recorder and RAPID� software. Given Imaging
has a number of available capsules: the PillCam SB video capsule to
visualize the entire small intestine which is currently marketed in the
United States and in more than 60 other countries; the PillCam ESO video
capsule to visualize the esophagus; the Agile(TM) patency capsule to
determine the free passage of the PillCam capsule in the GI tract and the
PillCam COLON video capsule to visualize the colon that has been cleared
for marketing in the European Union. PillCam COLON has received a CE Mark,
but is not cleared for marketing or available for commercial distribution
in the USA. More than 700,000 patients worldwide have benefited from the
PillCam capsule endoscopy procedure. Given Imaging's headquarters,
manufacturing and R&D facilities are located in Yoqneam, Israel. It has
operating subsidiary companies in the United States, Germany, France,
Japan, Australia and Singapore. Given Imaging's largest shareholders
include Elron Electronic Industries (NASDAQ & TASE: ELRN). For more
information, visit http://www.givenimaging.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning
of the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, projections about our business and our future revenues,
expenses and profitability. Forward-looking statements may be, but are not
necessarily, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as
"may," "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans,"
"believes," and words and terms of similar substance. Forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors which may cause the actual events, results, performance,
circumstances or achievements of the Company to be materially different
  from any future events, results, performance, circumstances or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause actual events, results, performance,
circumstances or achievements to differ from such forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, the following: (1)
satisfactory results of clinical trials with PillCam COLON (2) our ability
to receive regulatory clearance or approval to market our products or
changes in regulatory environment, (3) our success in implementing our
sales, marketing and manufacturing plans, (4) protection and validity of
patents and other intellectual property rights, (5) the impact of currency
exchange rates, (6) the effect of competition by other companies, (7) the
outcome of future litigation, including patent litigation with Olympus
Corporation, (8) our ability to obtain reimbursement for our product from
government and commercial payors, (9) quarterly variations in operating
results, (10) the possibility of armed conflict or civil or military
unrest in Israel, and (11) other risks and factors disclosed in our
filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but
not limited to, risks and factors identified under such headings as "Risk
Factors," "Cautionary Language Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and
"Operating Results and Financial Review and Prospects" in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2007. You are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements,
which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except for the
Company's ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the
applicable securities laws, it undertakes no obligation to release
publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events
or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events.
For further information contact:
Fern Lazar
Email Contact
David Carey
Email Contact
Lazar Partners Ltd.
212 867 1768

<http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-us/news/article.cfm?mnarticle=disease-resi\
stant-sheep-the-focus-of-phd-thesis-13-05-2008>

Disease resistant sheep the focus of PhD thesis

The ability to breed sheep resistant to paratuberculosis, a chronic
disease which leads to production loss, is the goal of PhD student Rao
Dukkipati. The disease, while not fatal, makes sheep lose weight and
produce less wool.

Studies estimate around 70 per cent of New Zealand’s 40 million sheep are
infected with the disease, costing the industry about $10 million a year.

Dr Dukkipati, who graduated yesterday, identified genetic markers for
immune responses to paratuberculosis vaccination in 900 merino sheep in
Australia.

Six genotypes and four alleles at six marker loci were found to be either
“probably” or “most likely” to be associated with immune responses to
vaccination, he says.

“The presence of a particular marker genotype or allele may lead to a
lower or higher response to the vaccine. It is likely that they will
behave similarly to the natural disease.”

Identifying the markers could lead to the selective breeding of disease
resistant animals.

“These animals would be bred exclusively to improve genetic resistance to
paratuberculosis.”

Dr Dukkipati came to Massey from India in 2002 and completed his PhD at
the Insitute of Veterinary, Animal and Biological Sciences last year. His
wife, Kavitha Kongara, is also working on her doctoral thesis in clinical
veterinary science at Massey.

The couple have become New Zealand citizens and Dr Dukkapati is now
employed at the institute as a researcher.

“We were hoping to graduate at the same time, however she will defend her
thesis later this month and graduate at the next ceremony,” he says.

“I’m working now on a sub-vaccine which will work against
paratuberculosis. At the moment there are a number of commercial vaccines,
but none protect the animals completely.”

Created: 13/05/2008 | Last updated: 13/05/2008

Hi Dale,

Yes , agree on that.

One your website you are concerned that the State is not doing enough to
control Johne's. Here is South Africa, it is a Controlled Disease and by law
all positive farms must be quarantined, and all positive animals must
slaughtered at a registered Abattoir only. Obviously this would kill the
sheep industry, so different regulations are now put in place.

As far as I am aware, the bacteria ( M. paratuberculosis ) is not passed on
from ewe to lamb via milk, only by shed bacteria in the faeces. We have a
vaccine that drastically reduces the clinical signs in sheep/goats, and
reduces the shedding of the organism.

What is interesting, is that by name (paratuberculosis) you can see the
connection of the bacteria to human tuberculosis (TB), but no vaccine is
available to humans. Makes one think.....

Regards,

Trevor

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dale Roose" <dale@...>
To: <paratuberculosis@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 12:40 AM
Subject: Re: [paratuberculosis] Re: FWD: Sheep Aids hits hundreds of farmers
[South Africa]


> 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
>

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
>>
>
>

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
>

<http://lubbockonline.com/stories/030808/loc_254957832.shtml>

Tech researcher tackles disease in cattle
By Marlena Hartz | Avalanche-Journal

Saturday, March 08, 2008
Story last updated at 3/8/2008 - 1:49 am

One of her many whiskered aides peeked from a tub, where, on a recent day,
it awaited its daily weigh-in and feeding.

In search of a cure, this Texas Tech laboratory mouse and hundreds more
will be infected this year with a livestock wasting disease and will be
closely monitored.


Enusha Karunasena, a senior research associate at the university, wants to
learn how to suppress the disease, called Johne's, in cattle.

Johne's (pronounced yo-knees) attacks animals' small intestines and causes
massive weight loss and, eventually, death.

Ultimately, Karunasena hopes her findings can help humans. Some scientists
have suspected for decades the same bacteria - mycobacterium avium
subspecies paratuberculosis - that causes Johne's in livestock causes an
irritable bowel syndrome, called Crohn's disease, in humans.

"No one has found the link yet," cautions Karunasena.

Some 500,000 Americans have Crohn's.

The same germ believed to trigger the disease is often the first to
overcome AIDS patients' faltering immune systems.

Yet little is known about how Crohn's develops in humans or how humans
contract mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. The germ can be
found virtually anywhere - in the soil, the water, even in hospitals,
Karunasena said.

Proper pasteurization of milk products and proper cooking of beef products
kills the germ, research shows.

"Predisposing assumptions on (these) products, alone, would be bad
science, although it would be an appropriate starting point to
investigate," Karunasena, 31, told The Avalanche-Journal.

Her starting point, however, revolves around bovines - animals the young
researcher never imagined she'd study.

Karunasena is working under Mindy Brashears. Brashears, a Tech associate
professor, discovered a cocktail of good and bad bacteria that kills
food-borne illnesses such as Salmonella and E.Coli in processed beef and
poultry. The FDA endorsed the mixture in 2005.

The team has found another antidote - Johne's symptoms are suppressed in
cattle that are fed dietary supplements that contain beneficial bacteria
and yeasts. In grocery stores, these probiotics are found in foods such as
yogurt and cheese.

Dairy cows that eat the supplements produce more milk and deposit more fat
in that milk, which is a sign of good health, Karunasena said.

"But no one knows why that is," she said.

This is where some 300 mice will play a role.

Karunasena's team will infect them with Johne's, feed them probiotics and
monitor how it effects their health. The ultimate goal is to determine
whether probiotics can prevent the onset of Johne's.

On U.S. farms and ranches, Johne's reach is relatively unknown. Testing of
American cattle herds isn't mandatory because there's no proven human
health link, said Andy Schwartz, a veterinarian with the Texas Voluntary
Johne's Disease Program for Cattle.

Studies show dairy cattle are more prone to the disease than beef cattle.
Some dairies voluntarily test their herds - roughly 26 percent of dairy
operations, according to a USDA study conducted in 2002 and 2003 and
released in 2005.

The latest USDA study, which will be released in April, shows the
Johne's-triggering germ was present at about 68 percent of dairies that
tested for it in 2007, said Rachel Iadicicco, a USDA spokeswoman. But
cattle that test positive for the germ don't always develop the disease,
and incubation periods can be as long as four years.

"This is really the dilemma. How do you stop the disease when you don't
know whether an animal positive for the organism in their system will
develop it or not?" Karunasena said.

Regionally, Johne's is considered an economic risk but not an eminent
threat, local veterinarians said. Nationally, it's more prevalent in
northern states, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota. In this state, it's more
prevalent in East Texas. In West Texas, cattle have more room to roam and
an arid climate to keep bacteria at bay, veterinarians said.

If the disease does infect a herd, it slices profits. An infected cow's
milk production slows to a trickle.

"The way agriculture is today you have to save every dime you can. You
just can't afford (Johne's) in a cow herd," said Louis Farr, a Lubbock
County veterinarian

In humans, finding a shield against Crohn's disease is a complex, distant
goal, Karunasena said. Our food supply, though, is a piece of the puzzle.

"If we keep our animals healthy, it's only going to have benefits for our
health, too," she said.

To comment on this story:

marlena.hartz@... 766-8753

james.gallagher@... 766-8706

<http://www.pharmalive.com/News/index.cfm?articleid=528801&categoryid=32>

Giaconda Receives European Patent for Myoconda

SYDNEY, Australia, April 7, 2008-Giaconda Limited (ASX: GIA), today
announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has granted its patent for
its lead product, Myoconda, a combination therapy for patients with
Crohn's Disease who are infected with MAP (Mycobacterium avium
paratuberculosis).

The formal Decision to Grant from the EPO affords protection until April
2018 in all European member states and extension states, with patent
number EP 98912149.6. The application was filed as part of a broader,
international application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (1970).

"The European Union is a key territory for MyocondaR," said Patrick
McLean, Giaconda's Chief Executive Officer. "The protection of MyocondaR's
intellectual property until 2018 in Europe provides an excellent window of
opportunity for earnings. From the company's perspective, this milestone
is another step in expanding our patent coverage and adding value to the
IP portfolio."

About Giaconda Limited

Giaconda Limited is a biotechnology company involved in developing and
licensing innovative and cost effective medical therapies in the field of
gastroenterology. Giaconda's products are targeted towards the treatment
of serious conditions that are not adequately addressed by any existing
therapy. In this way, Giaconda's products are intended to satisfy these
significant unmet medical needs of the gastrointestinal market. The
Giaconda portfolio consists of five products, all of which are novel
combinations of known compounds. Giaconda has two lead products, MyocondaR
for the treatment of Crohn's Disease and HelicondaR for the treatment of
resistant Helicobacter pylori infection.

About MyocondaR - A Combination Antibiotic Therapy for the Treatment of
Crohn's Disease

MyocondaR, the Company's Anti-MAP therapy for the treatment of Crohn's
Disease is a combination of three registered anti-mycobacterial drugs -
rifabutin, clarithromycin and clofazimine. These three drugs are widely
marketed world-wide for the treatment of mycobacterial and other
infections. MyocondaR presents these three compounds in a specific
patented combination.

MyocondaR is based on the proposition that MAP infection is a significant
factor in Crohn's Disease. Prof. Borody has long been at the forefront of
this approach, which is gaining increasing acceptance among
gastrointestinal specialists worldwide. Prof. Borody has published
significant data demonstrating that patients treated with anti-MAP
combination therapy such as that found in MyocondaR experience long-term
remission of clinical symptoms and inflammation, some for up to nine years.

About Crohn's Disease

Crohn's Disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal
tract. The disease most commonly affects the lower small intestine and the
large intestine. Symptoms of Crohn's Disease include abdominal pain,
diarrhoea, fever and weight loss. In severe cases, the intestine can
become blocked or obstructed, requiring surgery. Young patients with
Crohn's Disease may also suffer growth retardation. Patients suffering
Crohn's Disease are conventionally treated with drugs aimed at reducing
inflammation and other associated symptoms. The cause of Crohn's Disease
is unknown, thus the standard treatments aim to treat symptoms rather than
the cause of the disease. The bacterium Mycobacterium avium ss.
paratuberculosis (MAP) is the lead candidate as an infectious cause of
Crohn's Disease. By targeting the MAP infection, MyocondaR is designed to
address a possible source of the disease, rather than attempting to merely
alleviate its symptoms.

For more information please visit www.giacondalimited.com

Except for historical information, this news release may contain
forward-looking statements that reflect the Company's current expectation
regarding future events. These forward looking statements involve risk and
uncertainties, which may cause but are not limited to, changing market
conditions, the successful and timely completion of clinical studies, the
establishment of corporate alliances, the impact of competitive products
and pricing, new product development, uncertainties related to the
regulatory approval process, and other risks detailed from time to time in
the Company's ongoing quarterly and annual reporting.



CONTACTS:


Company

Media & Investor Relations

Patrick McLean - Chief Executive Officer

Fay Weston - Talk Biotech

T: +61 (0)2 9370 0069

T: +61 (0)422 206036

E: pmclean@...

E: fayweston@...

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080326124806.htm>

New Genetic Markers For Crohn's Disease Discovered, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Mar. 27, 2008) — What is believed to be the largest study of
its kind for the genetic roots of inflammatory bowel diseases has
suggested new links to Crohn's Disease as well as further evidence that
some people of Jewish descent are more likely to develop it.

The study examined changes in DNA associated with the two most common
forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): Crohn's Disease (CD), which is
most frequently marked by inflammation of the final section of the small
bowel (ileum) and parts of the colon, and ulcerative colitis (UC), an
inflammation of the internal lining of the rectum and colon.

Results of the study, published in this month's edition of Genes and
Immunity, included information gleaned from 993 families with IBD, 244 of
whom were Ashkenazi Jews. Up to 30 percent of people with IBD in the
United States are estimated to have a family history of the condition, and
about 25 percent of these families have both CD and UC in the family.
People of Ashkenazi Jewish descent are at least twice as likely to develop
a form of IBD and are more likely to have familial disease.

"This increased risk for some Jewish people makes our study and results
especially significant since this is the first sample size of Jewish
families, 244, that was large enough to identify novel gene regions for
familial predisposition in this ethnic group," says Johns Hopkins
gastroenterologist and genetic investigator Steven R. Brant, M.D., senior
author of the study.

By analyzing common DNA variations known as single nucleotide
polymorphisms, or SNPs, the team found evidence for genes causing familial
Crohn's Disease in the study population specific to Ashkenazi Jewish
families with CD on previously identified areas of chromosomes 1 and 3.
They also identified a never-before-identified region of chromosome 13
that was shared by both Jewish and non-Jewish families with CD. Evidence
for chromosomal regions that may be linked to UC on chromosome 2 and 19
for Jewish and non-Jewish families was also noted, according to Brant.

"What makes these results especially significant is not only the large
sample size but also the method we used for screening, namely the use of a
high-density, single-nucleotide polymorphism genome-wide linkage process,
says Brant." The new process is 10 times faster than older methods at
searching the number of variations across the genome, he added.

Up to now, Brant says, no gene regions implicated in IBD were specific to
Ashkenazi families, and genetic evidence pointing to why Ashkenazi Jews
are twice as likely to get the disorder was lacking. The two genetic
regions identified on chromosomes 1 and 3 were specific to Ashkenazi CD
and unrelated to known IBD genes.

Although further study is needed to narrow down which specific genes are
the major players, Brant says it's already clear that they are in the
right "neighborhood" to search for IBD/CD susceptibility genes.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Genetics Consortium (NIDDK-IBDGC) that
organized the study is a multi-center team of American and Canadian
investigators established in 2002 to examine genetic links among IBD
pedigrees.

The subjects were recruited through the six IBD genetic research centers
of the NIDDK-IBDGC -- Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, Johns Hopkins
Hospital, the University of Chicago, the University of Montreal, the
University of Pittsburgh and the University of Toronto.

Genotyping was performed at the SNP Center at the Center for Inherited
Disease Research, Baltimore, Md.

The study was funded by the NIDDK, branch of the National Institutes of
Health (NIH). Other researchers who worked on this study include lead
author Yin Shugart, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public
Health; co-senior author Judy H. Cho, M.D., Yale University School of
Medicine, New Haven, Conn. and additional researchers from University of
Toronto, Toronto, Canada; University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh;
Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles; Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore; University of Chicago, Chicago; University of Manitoba,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; University of Sherbrooke Hospital, Fleurimont,
Quebec, Canada; McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada and University
of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

<http://www.13wham.com/guides/health/story.aspx?content_id=6b3e62c0-5568-4f24-82\
11-f9b32fc0da9f>

Reported by: Jen Markham
Email: jmarkham@...

Bonnie Peters was first diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 1975.

Over the years, her symptoms became so bad she had to stop working and
severely limit her activity.

Drugs to help her with her intestinal problems didn't do much for her
other symptoms.

"Overall body arthritis, the total exhaustion, and I've been having fevers
for about two and a half years," Bonnie said.

Three weeks ago, the 66-year-old Spencerport native enrolled in a clinical
trial at Rochester General Hospital, for a new drug called Prochymal.  The
drug is formulated from human stem cells, and researchers hope it could
help shut down the disease in the gastrointestinal tract.

"This works by ideally targeting the inflammation and shutting down the
inflammation such so that inflammatory response is no longer seen and the
patient's symptoms improve with that," said Dr. Kevin Casey, a
gastroenterologist at Rochester General.

Dr. Casey said unlike other Crohn's drugs, patients can take Prochymal
without also having to take an immuno-suppressant, which can cause
complications.

The drug has so far shown positive results in early trials.  Bonnie said
she has already noticed a big difference.

"The body pain is gone...the exhaustion is gone," she said.  "The fevers
are not gone, but I'm able to go shopping and then go out again in the
evening if I want...it's been wonderful."

Doctors said the treatment is targeted at patients, for which no other
therapy has worked.

Rochester General is currently looking for 15 or more patients with
Crohn's Disease to enroll in the trial.  For more information, you can
call the hospital at 922-5465.

I've added the following to the description of this group:

   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Group Owner Comment

Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC), of which paratuberculosis is a subset,
causes serious disease in people who are immune deficient (i.e., AIDS
patients). In my opinion, these bacteria are considered non-pathogenic to
humans not because they only cause disease in people who lack resistance.
The rubella virus only causes measles in people who lack resistance. MAC
is considered non-pathogenic because the people who lack resistance
represent a minority.
   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-- Dale
<http://DaleRoose.com/>
Thought for Today:  Being paid to lie doesn't excuse lying, it just raises
the status of the liar from amateur to professional.

From what I've read, it seems that paratuberculosis is considered a
serious pathogen in AIDS patients but not a pathogen in the general human
population because it doesn't bother people who have strong resistance. If
we were to apply that logic, we might also conclude that most infectious
diseases are not pathogens if at least one person was born with immunity
or strong resistance.

The healthcare and food industries want to fit this into a discrete
model--it is/isn't a pathogen. Paratuberculosis doesn't understand that
model. It survives as best it can wherever it finds itself.

And what about people with only partial resistance? What about people with
immune impairments from a variety of factors such as Vitamin D deficiency,
an imbalance of of bacterial species in the gut, genetic lack of
resistance to that particulary species, liver damage or infection,
exposure to toxins, a simultaneous comvination of common infections that
temporarily overload the immune system, or maybe living in a cold damp
climate that predisposes one to respiratory paratuberculosis infections.
Maybe we just happened to be in a place where the drinking water had a
higher concentration of paratuberculosis than our immune systems could
handle

We're asking simply: Is it pathogenic? If we were honest, we might be
asking: how many of which people have to get how sick in order to
categorize it as pathogenic?

-- Dale
<http://DaleRoose.com/>
There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is
striking at the root.
-- Henry David Thoreau

This is from 2005 but interesting. The authors reference previous research
showing that macrophages infected with M. avium produce less Tumor
Necrosis Factor-alpha and inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase compared with
cells infected by M. smegmatis which is usually non-pathogenic. These
substances are part of the normal immune response to infections and other
stressors. A reduced immune response to infection fits with the recent
discovery that paratuberculosis prevents macrophages from killing E. coli,
but it seems to me that it also suggests that the immune insufficiency or
deficiency might extend beyond E. coli to allow other opportunistic
infections.

-- Dale
<http://DaleRoose.com/>
When John McCain begins a sentence with "Everybody knows" or "It's common
knowledge" or "It's been reported everywhere in the media", whatever
follows should be questioned.
   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - -
<http://lib.bioinfo.pl/meid:22798>

Infect Immun. 2005 Oct ;73:6499-507 16177323 (P,S,E,B)

Activation and mitogen-activated protein kinase regulation of
transcription factors Ets and NF-kappaB in Mycobacterium-infected
macrophages and role of these factors in tumor necrosis factor alpha and
nitric oxide synthase 2 promoter function.

Seong-Beom Lee, Jeffrey S Schorey

Previous studies have shown that primary murine macrophages infected with
Mycobacterium avium produced lower levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha
(TNF-alpha) and inducible nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) compared to cells
infected with nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis. TNF-alpha and NOS2
levels correlated with and were dependent on the activation of
mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) p38 and extracellular
signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2). To define the macrophage
transcriptional responses dependent on ERK1/2 activation following a
mycobacterial infection, we used RAW 264.7 cells transfected with a
TNF-alpha or NOS2 promoter vector. We determined that macrophages infected
with M. avium compared to M. smegmatis showed diminished TNF-alpha and
NOS2 promoter activity. A more pronounced difference in promoter activity
was observed when only the consensus ETS and NF-kappaB binding sites were
used as promoters. Mutational analysis of the ETS and NF-kappaB binding
sites present on the TNF-alpha and NOS2 promoters, respectively, showed
that these sites were essential for a functional promoter. Moreover, the
Ets/Elk but not the NF-kappaB transcriptional response was dependent on
ERK1/2. This correlated with the requirement for ERK1/2 in TNF-alpha but
not NOS2 promoter activity. Our data indicate that the increased Ets/Elk
and NF-kappaB promoter activities associated with M. smegmatis-infected
macrophages are responsible, at least in part, for the increased TNF-alpha
and NOS2 production observed in these infected cells and that ERK1/2 is
required for Ets/Elk activity and full TNF-alpha production.

<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312141253.htm>

New Defense Mechanism Against Intestinal Inflammation Found

ScienceDaily (Mar. 15, 2008) — The body's first line of defence against
pathogenic bacteria that we ingest may not be the immune system but rather
the cells that line the intestine. This surprising conclusion is just one
facet of a study by Dr. Maya Saleh, a researcher at the Research institute
of the McGill University Health Centre that will be published in the
journal Cell Host & Microbe on March 12.

This, and the various mechanisms revealed by this discovery, could lead to
important therapeutic innovations, particularly in the treatment of
diarrheal diseases and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease.

When pathogenic E. coli bacteria infect the body, they bind to epithelial
cells on the interior wall of the intestine before injecting infectious
material into the cells with a syringe-like mechanism. This contact
triggers a defence reaction within the epithelial cell called the Nod
pathway, which results in alerting the immune system as well as in the
release of antimicrobial peptides called defensins.

Defensins act as antibiotics: they kill bacteria directly by puncturing
holes in their walls. These peptides also play a role in activating the
immune system itself and tuning the inflammatory reaction.

"This mechanism expands our idea of immunity: it hinges upon epithelial
cells, not immune cells, early on during infection," says Dr. Saleh.
"Furthermore, our study demonstrates that this mechanism is regulated
negatively by the Caspase-12 protein, meaning that this protein limits
defensin production. This hampers the elimination of bacteria, which then
trigger an intense inflammatory reaction manifested by various symptoms
including severe diahrrea."

These fundamental discoveries change our understanding of the immune
defence. They also open new avenues for a deeper understanding and more
targeted treatments of diseases related to intestinal inflammation, such
as diarrheal diseases caused by pathogenic E. coli or Crohn's disease.

In the case of diarrhea, intestinal inflammation is caused by a process
similar to the one described above by Dr. Saleh. Treatments that target
Caspase-12 would decrease inflammation by acting on the source rather than
on the symptoms.

Crohn's disease is the chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, and
its specific causes are unknown. What is known, however, is that this
pathology is linked to a genetic mutation in the Nod pathway. "This study
allows us to consider three possible explanations for Crohn's disease: the
Nod pathway mutation could induce either a lack of bacterial "sensing" or
a hyperactivation of the immune system resulting in both cases in
excessive inflammation against bacteria naturally present in the digestive
system; it is also possible that the pathology is caused by an excessive
and recurring reaction against a pathogenic microorganism," says Dr.
Saleh. The debate is now open.

In each of these cases, medication targeting Caspase-12 would decrease
inflammation symptoms by directly attacking the underlying cause.

Dr. Maya Saleh is a researcher with the Critical Care Division and the
Centre for the Study of Host Resistance at the Research Institute of the
McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) as well as an assistant professor
with McGill University's Faculty of Medicine.

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research
(CIHR) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

Adapted from materials provided by McGill University Health Centre.

[Isn't it nice to be one of the "special" animals?]

<http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2008/03/14/news/031508arzoosickanim.txt>

12 animals in Zoo's children's farm to be euthanized

Last updated Friday, March 14, 2008 8:51 PM CDT in News
By The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK - The Little Rock Zoo says 12 animals in its petting zoo have
contracted a digestive disease and will be euthanized. The zoo says the
children's farm will be closed until further notice.

Zoo veterinarian Marilynn Baeyens says the animals are infected with
Johne's Disease, which is also known as paratuberculosis.

The sick animals include one cow, four sheep and seven goats. The animals
have been quarantined from others in the exhibit to avoid the spread of
disease and will be euthanized, the zoo said.

The disease cannot be transferred to humans. The zoo says the disease is
transmitted when an animal eats or drinks the manure or milk of an
infected animal.

The info is difficult to find, but it looks like last November, Medicare
broadened their coverage for Wireless Capsule Endoscopy for Crohn's, but
there may be new contraindications including a cardiac pacemaker. I just
can't win.

-- Dale
<http://DaleRoose.com/>

<http://lib.bioinfo.pl/auth:Salata,RA>

J Infect. 2007 Oct 5; : 17920687 (P,S,E,B,D)

Mycobacterium other than tuberculosis (MOTT) infection: An emerging
disease in infliximab-treated patients.

Edsel Maurice T Salvana, Gregory S Cooper, Robert A Salata

OBJECTIVES: Infliximab has revolutionized treatment of rheumatologic
diseases and inflammatory bowel disease. However, it increases the risk of
tuberculosis. Less is known about the development of Mycobacterium other
than tuberculosis (MOTT) infection. We review the literature on
non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections in infliximab-treated patients
and report the first case of disseminated Mycobacterium avium complex in
an infliximab-treated patient complicated by immune reconstitution
inflammatory syndrome. METHODS AND RESULTS: MEDLINE search with the
keywords mycobacteria and infliximab revealed four cases of MOTT in
patients treated with infliximab: fatal Mycobacterium peregrinum pneumonia
in a patient with polymyositis and dermatomyositis; a patient with
rheumatoid arthritis with skin and soft tissue infection with
Mycobacterium abscessus; Mycobacterium fortuitum in a patient with
rheumatoid arthritis; and a case of pulmonary MAC without dissemination.
Review of US data from 1998 to 2002 published by Wallis et al. revealed
that out of more than 233,000 patients treated with infliximab, 30
developed unspecified mycobacterial species infection. No further data was
available regarding these cases. CONCLUSION: MOTT infection is a rare but
emerging complication of infliximab therapy. MOTT cases tend to progress
rapidly in infliximab-treated patients and withdrawal of infliximab
therapy can result in immune reconstitution.
--
Dale
<http://DaleRoose.com/>
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to
the rich—both come to poverty.
-- Proverbs 22:16

<http://www.todaysthv.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=62303>

Zoo Handles Johne's Infection in Farm Animal Area

Press Release: Little Rock Zoo

Twelve animals in the children’s farm at the Little Rock Zoo are infected
with Johne’s Disease, or paratuberculosis, a wasting disease of the lower
intestine effecting ruminant animals.

The disease was discovered by Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Marilynn Baeyens after
a routine blood test was performed on a male goat.

Dr. Baeyens then took fecal samples from the goat to confirm the presence
of the disease. All animals in the children’s farm were tested and twelve
animals carry the disease.

Paratuberculosis is a bacterial disease commonly found in ruminant
animals. It is non-transferable to humans.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 22% of
U.S. dairy farms are infected with Johne’s. The disease causes severe
diarrhea and eventual death for the infected animal.

The disease is transmitted when an animal ingests manure or milk of an
infected animal or is kept on previously infected ground. No effective
method exists to kill the organism in the ground.

The Little Rock Zoo has quarantined the twelve infected animals and will
euthanize them to prevent the disease from spreading to other animals.

Infected animals include one cow, four sheep, and seven goats. The Zoo
currently has 14 sheep, 22 goats, 2 cows, 2 donkeys, and 2 mini-horses in
its children’s farm exhibit. The exhibit will be closed until further
notice.

The Little Rock Zoo is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium
Association (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or
aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to
providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a
better future for all living things.

With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global
wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native
habitats. For more information, visit www.aza.org.


   Lindsey Clark, Online Producer
Created: 3/14/2008 3:13:47 PM
Updated: 3/14/2008 3:22:06 PM

<http://lib.bioinfo.pl/auid:56808>

Appl Environ Microbiol. 2005 Apr ;71 (4):2130-9 15812047 (P,S,E,B) Cited:3

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in the catchment area and
water of the River Taff in South Wales, United Kingdom, and its potential
relationship to clustering of Crohn's disease cases in the city of Cardiff.

R W Pickup, G Rhodes, S Arnott, K Sidi-Boumedine, T J Bull, A Weightman, M
Hurley, J Hermon-Taylor
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Ave., Bailrigg, Lancaster LA21
4AP, United Kingdom. roger@...

In South Wales, United Kingdom, a populated coastal region lies beneath
hill pastures grazed by livestock in which Mycobacterium avium subsp.
paratuberculosis is endemic. The Taff is a spate river running off the
hills and through the principal city of Cardiff. We sampled Taff water
above Cardiff twice weekly from November 2001 to November 2002. M. avium
subsp. paratuberculosis was detected by IS900 PCR and culture. Thirty-one
of 96 daily samples (32.3%) were IS900 PCR positive, and 12 grew M. avium
subsp. paratuberculosis bovine strains. Amplicon sequences from colonies
were identical to the sequence with GenBank accession no. X16293, whereas
16 of 19 sequences from river water DNA extracts had a single-nucleotide
polymorphism at position 214. This is consistent with a different strain
of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in the river, which is unculturable by
the methods we used. Parallel studies showed that M. avium subsp.
paratuberculosis remained culturable in lake water microcosms for 632 days
and persisted to 841 days. Of four reservoirs controlling the catchment
area of the Taff, M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was present in surface
sediments from three and in sediment cores from two, consistent with
deposition over at least 50 years. Previous epidemiological research in
Cardiff demonstrated a highly significant increase of Crohn's disease in
11 districts. These bordered the river except for a gap on the windward
side. A topographical relief map shows that this gap is directly opposite
a valley open to the prevailing southwesterly winds. This would influence
the distribution of aerosols carrying M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis
  from the river.

<http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/030808/loc_254957832.shtml>

Tech researcher tackles disease in cattle

By Marlena Hartz | Avalanche-Journal

Saturday, March 08, 2008
Story last updated at 3/8/2008 - 1:49 am

One of her many whiskered aides peeked from a tub, where, on a recent day,
it awaited its daily weigh-in and feeding.

In search of a cure, this Texas Tech laboratory mouse and hundreds more
will be infected this year with a livestock wasting disease and will be
closely monitored.


Enusha Karunasena, a senior research associate at the university, wants to
learn how to suppress the disease, called Johne's, in cattle.

Johne's (pronounced yo-knees) attacks animals' small intestines and causes
massive weight loss and, eventually, death.

Ultimately, Karunasena hopes her findings can help humans. Some scientists
have suspected for decades the same bacteria - mycobacterium avium
subspecies paratuberculosis - that causes Johne's in livestock causes an
irritable bowel syndrome, called Crohn's disease, in humans.

"No one has found the link yet," cautions Karunasena.

Some 500,000 Americans have Crohn's.

The same germ believed to trigger the disease is often the first to

overcome AIDS patients' faltering immune systems.

Yet little is known about how Crohn's develops in humans or how humans
contract mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis. The germ can be
found virtually anywhere - in the soil, the water, even in hospitals,
Karunasena said.

Proper pasteurization of milk products and proper cooking of beef products
kills the germ, research shows.

"Predisposing assumptions on (these) products, alone, would be bad
science, although it would be an appropriate starting point to
investigate," Karunasena, 31, told The Avalanche-Journal.

Her starting point, however, revolves around bovines - animals the young
researcher never imagined she'd study.

Karunasena is working under Mindy Brashears. Brashears, a Tech associate
professor, discovered a cocktail of good and bad bacteria that kills
food-borne illnesses such as Salmonella and E.Coli in processed beef and
poultry. The FDA endorsed the mixture in 2005.

The team has found another antidote - Johne's symptoms are suppressed in
cattle that are fed dietary supplements that contain beneficial bacteria
and yeasts. In grocery stores, these probiotics are found in foods such as
yogurt and cheese.

Dairy cows that eat the supplements produce more milk and deposit more fat
in that milk, which is a sign of good health, Karunasena said.

"But no one knows why that is," she said.

This is where some 300 mice will play a role.

Karunasena's team will infect them with Johne's, feed them probiotics and
monitor how it effects their health. The ultimate goal is to determine
whether probiotics can prevent the onset of Johne's.

On U.S. farms and ranches, Johne's reach is relatively unknown. Testing of
American cattle herds isn't mandatory because there's no proven human
health link, said Andy Schwartz, a veterinarian with the Texas Voluntary
Johne's Disease Program for Cattle.

Studies show dairy cattle are more prone to the disease than beef cattle.
Some dairies voluntarily test their herds - roughly 26 percent of dairy
operations, according to a USDA study conducted in 2002 and 2003 and
released in 2005.

The latest USDA study, which will be released in April, shows the
Johne's-triggering germ was present at about 68 percent of dairies that
tested for it in 2007, said Rachel Iadicicco, a USDA spokeswoman. But
cattle that test positive for the germ don't always develop the disease,
and incubation periods can be as long as four years.

"This is really the dilemma. How do you stop the disease when you don't
know whether an animal positive for the organism in their system will
develop it or not?" Karunasena said.

Regionally, Johne's is considered an economic risk but not an eminent
threat, local veterinarians said. Nationally, it's more prevalent in
northern states, such as Wisconsin and Minnesota. In this state, it's more
prevalent in East Texas. In West Texas, cattle have more room to roam and
an arid climate to keep bacteria at bay, veterinarians said.

If the disease does infect a herd, it slices profits. An infected cow's
milk production slows to a trickle.

"The way agriculture is today you have to save every dime you can. You
just can't afford (Johne's) in a cow herd," said Louis Farr, a Lubbock
County veterinarian

In humans, finding a shield against Crohn's disease is a complex, distant
goal, Karunasena said. Our food supply, though, is a piece of the puzzle.

"If we keep our animals healthy, it's only going to have benefits for our
health, too," she said.

To comment on this story:

marlena.hartz@... 766-8753

james.gallagher@... 766-8706

<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120414648150297551.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>

Tysabri's Liver Warning Expanded to MS Patients

By JENNIFER CORBETT DOOREN
February 28, 2008; Page D4

Biogen Idec Inc. and Elan Corp. warned doctors of the possibility of
serious liver injury in patients being treated with the multiple-sclerosis
drug Tysabri.

The new warning, in a letter posted on the Food and Drug Administration's
Web site, was recently included in prescribing information for Tysabri use
in patients with Crohn's disease, a chronic, progressive disease marked by
inflammation of the bowel. Last month, the FDA approved Tysabri for
Crohn's patients who have failed other treatments, including Johnson &
Johnson's Remicade and Abbott Laboratories' Humira, although the drug
hasn't yet been launched as a treatment for Crohn's.

Now the same liver warning is being included in information aimed at
neurologists who treat multiple sclerosis. Tysabri was first approved as
an MS treatment in 2004 but was temporarily taken off the market in 2005
over concerns about a serious brain infection. The drug is now sold under
a restricted-distribution program, and patients are routinely monitored
for signs of the brain infection, known as progressive multifocal
leukoencephalopathy, and for other side effects.

The letter to doctors said that the companies have received "clinically
significant" reports of liver injury in patients being treated with
Tysabri, and that signs of liver injury occurred as early as six days
after the first dose of Tysabri. Liver injuries also occurred after
multiple doses of the drug.

The letter instructed doctors to tell their patients that Tysabri may
cause liver injury and said they should stop drug treatment if patients
show signs of liver injury including jaundice.

Shannon Altimari, a Biogen spokeswoman, said the rate of liver injuries is
less than one in 1,000 patients. As of the end of December, about 21,000
patients had been treated with Tysabri. None of the injuries required a
liver transplant, she said.

Write to Jennifer Corbett Dooren at jennifer.corbett-dooren@...

<http://www.theherald.co.za/herald/news/n13_26022008.htm>

Vaccinations urged as killer ‘sheep Aids‘ hits Southern Cape

Janine Oelofse GARDEN ROUTE BUREAU CHIEF

SOUTHERN Cape farmers have been urged to be on the lookout for symptoms of
a deadly sheep disease which authorities say has slowly spread to
“hundreds” of farms in the Western Cape.

The agriculture department appealed to Western Cape sheep farmers this
week to remain calm in the face of the spread of Ovine Johne‘s Disease
(OJD), commonly referred to 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 the Southern Cape.

But the provincial agriculture department has moved to reassure farmers
that their interests would be protected by the department.

“The situation is under control,” said the MEC‘s spokesman, Alie van
Jaarsveld. “We have vets working on it full-time.”

OJD, or paratuberculosis, is a chronic and contagious disease found
worldwide, characterised by persistent and progressive diarrhoea, weight
loss, debilitation, the thickening of the mucous membranes, and eventual
death.

It is considered a “problem” in South Africa because it is hard to detect
and can kill up to 20 per cent of sheep in highly infected flocks.

Van Jaarsveld said an official count of sheep currently affected was not
available yet, but the supply of mutton to the market could drop if it
spread further and it was decided to slaughter the sheep in the infected
areas.

The Small Stock Health Advisory Body, which was formed to deal with the
problem, has advised that heavily infected areas be declared “OJD Control
Areas”. This will allow free movement of live animals within these
confines, but prevent their transportation to the outside world except for
slaughter.

This would prevent the legal requirement of placing infected flocks under
quarantine, he said.

The body also advised farmers to vaccinate their sheep and announced the
requirement of written vendor declarations on the OJD status of their
flocks.

“The veterinary services of the national government and the provinces
launched an intensive round of workshops and meetings ... to formulate a
policy to address this situation,” Van Jaarsveld said.

This led to the formation of the advisory body, which will present its
final policy proposals to Agriculture Minister Lulu Xingwana and her nine
provincial MECs.

State veterinary surgeon Dr Dempsey de Lange said yesterday the only cases
confirmed so far in the Southern Cape were in Mossel Bay. He urged farmers
to be on the lookout for unexplained diarrhoea with chronic progressive
wasting in their adult sheep.

“Farmers who notice (this) should consult their vet and those who lose
their animals due to these symptoms should have them sent for an autopsy,”
De Lange added.

<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

How are you doing?  Sorry I haven't gotten back to you, but I have
hardly been at home.  Thank you so much for all your information, I am
going to post some of the links on my website, www.crohnscanada.org

As soon as I have a little time I will post, I promise, I hope you are
doing a little better.  hugs Diane