Bacteria link to Gulf war illness discounted

Washington Times ^ | Tuesday, July 20, 2004

[JohnHuang2]

The Washington Times
www.washingtontimes.com

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Bacteria link to Gulf war illness discounted

Published July 20, 2004

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A year on powerful antibiotics did nothing to relieve the chronic health problems reported by Gulf war veterans, demolishing the theory that the so-called Gulf war syndrome is caused by a bacterial infection, researchers say.
    The bacterial-infection theory "is off the table at this point," said Joseph F. Collins, a researcher with the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System and one of the study's authors. "It's disappointing, but the results are definitive: This is not the smoking gun."
    The study was done by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
    Researchers have found that veterans of the Persian Gulf war in 1991 are more likely to suffer from a range of chronic symptoms, including memory and thinking problems, debilitating fatigue, severe muscle and joint pain, depression, anxiety, insomnia, headaches and rashes. However, the cause has proved elusive.
    Theories include stress, bacterial infection, chemical or biological weapons, pollutants from burning oil fields, depleted-uranium munitions, and vaccinations for anthrax and other potential biological weapons.

[jedi]

As I understand it, there is some evidence that the immunizations and the aspartame/nutrasweet in the pop have been implicated. When heated the latter forms formaldehyde and methanol; pallet-loads of pop sat out in the sun before being consumed.

Aspartame is also the item generating the most complaints to the FDA. Interestingly, the FDA panel that OK'd it for sale to the public had a majority of members with ties to the manufacturer.