Please take note that English is not my first language, so please be tolerant. I effectively have structural problems in my writings mainly because I have learned many languages and some have entirely different ways of expressing ideas, concept, etc... But as a very determine Hmanitarian I do my best so these very important messages get to be known, it indeed reduce morbidity and mortality.
All my Diaries have one sole Purpose it is to Inform not to Inflame.
Today I come back to the subject of Arsenic in GroundWater and in the Soil. Volcanic fallout, mining industries and forestry are among the main sources of Arsenic in our Regions.
Over a month ago I brought this issue here in the following Diaries and today the Seniors Public Health Spokepersons are coming out on this very important issue.
And yes, even if you live in such a Region there are solutions.
Snowy Owl
First be aware that in many cases Swine flu is not a walk in the park as stated by the Reveres (Senior Public Health Officers) in their Public Health Site.
http://scienceblogs.com/...
H1N1 pandemic morbid and lethal infections link with arsenic and selenium ?
In one of my blog after a request from Bangladesh I wrote the following
H1N1 pandemic morbid and lethal infections link with arsenic and selenium?
at http://snowyowl.wordpress.com/...
I have look in the last few weeks for some correlations between morbidity and mortality in infections of the H1N1 novel virus.
It turns out that I found a lot of surprising facts and here are some of my conclusions presented in some of my different worldwide and multilingual blogs.
Does arsenic set us up for H1N1?
http://www.dynamicbangladesh.com/...
Arsenic in Contaminated Water Increases Susceptibility to H1N1 Influenza
http://www.h1n1swinefluinformations....
Concentration of Arsenic in the Groundwater of a Region in Southwest Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
http://www.h1n1swinefluinformations....
Concentration of Arsenic in the Groundwater of a Region in Southwest Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
http://www.h1n1swinefluinformations....
Host nutritional selenium status as a driving force for influenza virus mutations
http://www.flunewsnetwork.ning.com/...
.
Now is the comments of the Reveres at Effect Measure at
http://scienceblogs.com/...
Swine flu and environmental arsenic
Arsenic is a metal and a notorious poison known since classical times. It was a favorite murder weapon in Renaissance Italy. It is only in the last couple of decades, however, that arsenic toxicology has been transformed by the techniques of modern molecular toxicology. What Hamilton's and other groups have found is that this ancient poison has widespread and fundamental biological effects on many different systems, often in very subtle ways we are only starting to unravel. Arsenic is not just a historical curiosity. Weathering and solution of natural mineral formations has put it in drinking water wells in many places and New Hampshire, where Dartmouth is located, is one of them. After a long tussle with a foot dragging Bush administration, public health advocates were finally able to get the standard for arsenic in community drinking water supplies reduced from 50 parts per billion (ppb) to 10 ppb, but private wells are not covered and many exceed it by wide margins. Almost half of New Hampshire residents get their water from private wells. Many other US states are also affected and arsenic contamination of water is a major problem in Bangladesh, Chile, Argentina and many other places. The levels in some places is high enough to cause frank poisoning, but in the US the levels are much lower. One significance of the work of Hamilton's lab and those of several other scientists is to show that arsenic can cause important biological effects in animal models at environmentally relevant levels, meaning, 10 ppb to 100 ppb in drinking water.
[snip]
So what did these experiments show (paper here)? Standard lab mice (C57BL/6J if you're interested) were inoculated intranasally with a sublethal dose of PR8. Some mice had partaken of 5 weeks of 100 ppb arsenic laced water before inoculation, others water without arsenic. Then the mice were studied for the way they responded to the virus. The arsenic treated mice were sicker (lost more weight) and had higher titers of influenza virus in their lungs as well fewer cells (dendritic cells) associated with preparing antigen for presentation to the immune system. The researchers interpreted this as showing that arsenic significantly compromised the lung's immune response to influenza infection.
[snip]
That's basically the evidence at this point. The processes implicated are part of the early innate immune response and could determine whether viral replication is sufficient to exceed some critical threshold and lead to a catastrophic response. At this point, however, this is an example of an animal model that suggests how modulating host responses through the environment might affect outcome. Virulence is not just a property of a virus. It is something that depends on the virus, its interaction with the host and the environment both are part of.
There are lots of reasons not to be exposed to arsenic in your food and water. It's an endocrine disruptor, is implicated in cancer and may affect the immune system in subtle ways. And, yes, chronic exposure might make a difference in how you respond to a flu infection.
Of course this Reveres comment is a MUST READ. .
Here is a World Wide data on regions with high level of arsenic in groundwater, as you will notice this is just astonishing.
http://www.igrac.net/...
Selenium is known to eliminate arsenic from your body and I refer you to the following diary.
In my June 21st 2009 Diary I mentionned the following
Sunday alternative medicinal products researches 'Selenium'in Sunday alternative medicinal products researches 'Selenium'
This swine flu (H1N1) pandemic unfolding around us and in our midst still is a mild pandemic so far but lethal in some cases, I shared with you the efficient virtues of Curcumin at http://www.dailykos.com/...
Curcumin is affordable and from around the world, scientific studies have demonstrated its efficiency against influenza. Everyone should read the Diary and get Curcumin in their kitchen and yes in their medical cabinet.
And do not forget about Preparing for the Second Wave of this World pandemic expected in Fall.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
I strongly recommend you to first buy the regular critical medicine that you need for few months ahead of Time and do it NOW the full Diary is at
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Swine flu - some warning signs that someone is bound for a Medical Consultation refer to
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Thank you and share to your near ones and your Communities, it can indeed reduce illness.
Snowy Owl