Fwd: Emergency! Pathogen New to Science Found in Roundup Ready GM Crops?

[Guest guest]

yet another reason to avoid GMO foods like the plague...

This article can be found on the I-SIS website at

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/newPathogenInRoundupReadyGMCrops.php

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ISIS Report 21/02/11

Emergency! Pathogen New to Science Found in Roundup Ready GM Crops?

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USDA senior scientist sends " emergency " warning to US Secretary of

Agriculture

Tom Vilsack on a new plant pathogen in Roundup Ready GM soybean and corn

that

may be responsible for high rates of infertility and spontaneous abortions

in

livestock. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

Please distribute widely and forward to your elected representatives

An open letter appeared on the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance founded and

run

by Judith McGeary to save family farms in the US [1, 2]. The letter,

written

by Don Huber, professor emeritus at Purdue University, to Secretary of

Agriculture Tom Vilsack, warns of a pathogen " new to science " discovered by

" a

team of senior plant and animal scientists " . Huber says it should be treated

as

an " emergency'', as it could result in " a collapse of US soy and corn export

markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed supplies. "

The letter appeared to have been written before Vilsack announced his

decision

to authorize unrestricted commercial planting of GM alfalfa on 1 February,

in

the hope of convincing the Secretary of Agriculture to impose a moratorium

instead on deregulation of Roundup Ready (RR) crops.

The new pathogen appears associated with serious pervasive diseases in

plants -

sudden death syndrome in soybean and Goss' wilt in corn - but its suspected

effects on livestock is alarming. Huber refers to " recent reports of

infertility rates in dairy heifers of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in

cattle as high as 45%. "

This could be the worst nightmare of genetic engineering that some

scientists

including me have been warning for years [3] (see Genetic Engineering Dream

or

Nightmare, ISIS publication): the unintended creation of new pathogens

through

assisted horizontal gene transfer and recombination.

Huber writes in closing: " I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50

years.

We are now seeing an unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal

diseases

and disorders. This pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and

solving

this problem. It deserves immediate attention with significant resources to

avoid a general collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure. "

The complete letter is reproduced below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

A team of senior plant and animal scientists have recently brought to my

attention the discovery of an electron microscopic pathogen that appears to

significantly impact the health of plants, animals, and probably human

beings.

Based on a review of the data, it is widespread, very serious, and is in

much

higher concentrations in Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans and corn-suggesting a

link

with the RR gene or more likely the presence of Roundup. This organism

appears

NEW to science!

This is highly sensitive information that could result in a collapse of US

soy

and corn export markets and significant disruption of domestic food and feed

supplies. On the other hand, this new organism may already be responsible

for

significant harm (see below). My colleagues and I are therefore moving our

investigation forward with speed and discretion, and seek assistance from

the

USDA and other entities to identify the pathogen's source, prevalence,

implications, and remedies.

We are informing the USDA of our findings at this early stage, specifically

due

to your pending decision regarding approval of RR alfalfa. Naturally, if

either

the RR gene or Roundup itself is a promoter or co-factor of this pathogen,

then

such approval could be a calamity. Based on the current evidence, the only

reasonable action at this time would be to delay deregulation at least until

sufficient data has exonerated the RR system, if it does.

For the past 40 years, I have been a scientist in the professional and

military

agencies that evaluate and prepare for natural and manmade biological

threats,

including germ warfare and disease outbreaks. Based on this experience, I

believe the threat we are facing from this pathogen is unique and of a high

risk

status. In layman's terms, it should be treated as an emergency.

A diverse set of researchers working on this problem have contributed

various

pieces of the puzzle, which together presents the following disturbing

scenario:

Unique Physical Properties This previously unknown organism is only visible

under an electron microscope (36,000X), with an approximate size range equal

to

a medium size virus. It is able to reproduce and appears to be a

micro-fungal-

like organism. If so, it would be the first such micro-fungus ever

identified.

There is strong evidence that this infectious agent promotes diseases of

both

plants and mammals, which is very rare.

Pathogen Location and Concentration It is found in high concentrations in

Roundup Ready soybean meal and corn, distillers meal, fermentation feed

products, pig stomach contents, and pig and cattle placentas.

Linked with Outbreaks of Plant Disease The organism is prolific in plants

infected with two pervasive diseases that are driving down yields and farmer

income-sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soy, and Goss' wilt in corn. The

pathogen

is also found in the fungal causative agent of SDS (Fusarium solani fsp

glycines).

Implicated in Animal Reproductive Failure Laboratory tests have confirmed

the

presence of this organism in a wide variety of livestock that have

experienced

spontaneous abortions and infertility. Preliminary results from ongoing

research

have also been able to reproduce abortions in a clinical setting.

The pathogen may explain the escalating frequency of infertility and

spontaneous

abortions over the past few years in US cattle, dairy, swine, and horse

operations. These include recent reports of infertility rates in dairy

heifers

of over 20%, and spontaneous abortions in cattle as high as 45%.

For example, 450 of 1,000 pregnant heifers fed wheatlege experienced

spontaneous abortions. Over the same period, another 1,000 heifers from the

same herd that were raised on hay had no abortions. High concentrations of

the

pathogen were confirmed on the wheatlege, which likely had been under weed

management using glyphosate.

Recommendations In summary, because of the high titer of this new animal

pathogen in Roundup Ready crops, and its association with plant and animal

diseases that are reaching epidemic proportions, we request USDA's

participation

in a multi-agency investigation, and an immediate moratorium on the

deregulation

of RR crops until the causal/predisposing relationship with glyphosate

and/or RR

plants can be ruled out as a threat to crop and animal production and human

health.

It is urgent to examine whether the side-effects of glyphosate use may have

facilitated the growth of this pathogen, or allowed it to cause greater harm

to

weakened plant and animal hosts. It is well-documented that glyphosate

promotes

soil pathogens and is already implicated with the increase of more than 40

plant

diseases; it dismantles plant defenses by chelating vital nutrients; and it

reduces the bioavailability of nutrients in feed, which in turn can cause

animal

disorders. To properly evaluate these factors, we request access to the

relevant

USDA data.

I have studied plant pathogens for more than 50 years. We are now seeing an

unprecedented trend of increasing plant and animal diseases and disorders.

This

pathogen may be instrumental to understanding and solving this problem. It

deserves immediate attention with significant resources to avoid a general

collapse of our critical agricultural infrastructure.

Sincerely,

COL (Ret.) Don M. Huber Emeritus Professor, Purdue University APS

Coordinator,

USDA National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS)

References

1. " Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause

Animal Miscarriages " , Jill , La Vida Locavore, 18 February 2011

http://www.lavidalocavore.org/diary/4523

2. " Researcher: Glyphosate (Roundup) or Roundup Ready Crops May Cause Animal

Miscarriages " , 18 February 2011,

http://farmandranchfreedom.org/gmo-miscarriages

3. Ho MW. Genetic Engineering Dream of Nightmare? The Brave New World of Bad

Science and Big Business, Third World Network, Gateway Books, MacMillan,

Continuum, Penang, Malaysia, Bath, UK, Dublin, Ireland, New York, USA, 1998,

1999, 2007 (reprint with extended Introduction). http://www.i-

sis.org.uk/genet.php

Read the rest of this article on the ISIS website

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/newPathogenInRoundupReadyGMCrops.php

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