BREAKING NEWS: Autism May Be Caused By Chemical Exposures - CDC - HuffPost

[Guest guest]

BREAKING NEWS: Autism May Be Caused By

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/breaking-news-autism-may_b_146217

..html> " Chemical Exposures " - CDC

By DAVID KIRBY

For years now, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and elsewhere

have said that autism is probably a purely genetic disorder, and that the

dramatic increase in numbers was due to better diagnostics, wider reporting

and greater awareness - and not because of any environmental factors.

Those days are over now.

Today, I received an email from an official in the Office of CDC Director

Dr. Gerberding (rumored to be on her way out in January), " Office of

Enterprise Communication, " replying to my questions on what the agency is

doing to look into the reportedly high number (1 in 28) of Somali in

Minneapolis.

The responses I got from the CDC (and the Minnesota Department of Health)

were thorough, thoughtful, and quite lengthy. They will be published in

their entirety shortly at www.ageofautism.com.

But one of the last questions answered by the CDC really stuck out.

I cannot recall anything quite like it from any Federal agency when asked a

question about the possible causes of autism.

Instead of the usual, tired, " it's just better diagnostics " mantra one

routinely gets from most public health authorities (and prominent

author-pediatricians), this particular person at the CDC chose to tell the

refreshing truth - and it is something that I have been saying for quite

some time, myself.

Here is the question I posed to CDC:

If it is determined that Somali children in Minnesota do in fact have higher

rates of autism than non-Somali children in Minnesota, and that they also

have higher rates than Somali children in Somalia, will CDC officially

concur that autism, at least in these cases, must necessarily have an

environmental component?

And here is part of the reply:

While it is important to understand if autism is affecting any group of

children disproportionately, it is also important to keep in mind that there

are likely multiple causes of the autism spectrum of disorders. Most

scientists agree that today's research will show that a person's genetic

profile may make them more or less susceptible to ASDs as a result of any

number of factors such as infections, the physical environment, chemical

exposures, or psychosocial components.

The idea that " chemical exposures " (vaccine induced or otherwise) might

cause autism still brings virtual apoplexia to certain scientific circles.

Let's hope they all take a deep breath and consider the CDC's wisdom.

Thank you, Centers for Disease Control.

Thank you for your candor, your courage, and your ability to admit that

there is no such thing as a genetic epidemic.