INVISIBLY ILL

Invisibly Ill Video Sneak Preview

This interesting video preview can be watched here 

Bec is currently writing, directing and producing a series of self-funded educational documentaries entitled Invisibly Ill

This sneak preview starts with interviews with Californian Microbiologist Prof Garth Nicolson, founder of the Institute of Molecular Medicine and New Jersey Psychiatrist Dr Robert Bransfield, President of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation

Dr Bransfield - I think one way to think of it is, if you have chronic infection that adversely affects the brain it has different affects at different points in a person's life.

If it affects fetal development we see developmental diseases and Autism.

If it is in middle life we see depression, anxiety and cognitive impairments.

If it is in early life and sometimes fetal it may show as psychosis like Bipolar or Schizophrenia.

If it is in later life it can be associated with Dementia.

But in all those cases what they have in common is there's a provocation of the immune system and there's close communication between the immune system and the nervous system.

Prof Nicolson - Stealth infections are in general bacterial but some cases viral infections, that can get inside and hide inside cells and they can't be seen by the immune system

Dr Bransfield - Chronic persistent low grade infections

Prof Nicolson - The most common stealth infections related to Chronic Illnesses are number one Mycoplasma, Chlamydia Pneumonia, Borrelia Burgdorferi which is one of the causative components of Lyme Disease a complex illness involving not only Borrelia but Mycoplasma and other infections as well.

Dr Bransfield - Babesia comes up and certain viruses Herpes 1,2,6, Toxoplasmosis but there's other infections that are not well identified and those are invariably as a group, these slow growing relapsing stealth infections that stay in the body in a low grade way and slowly impact and have affect over time.

Prof Nicolson - All these infections spread throughout the body and tend to end up in the central nervous system where they can cause tremendous damage.

That's just the start so go to the link to watch several speakers on this subject.

Great work Bec I look forward to watching more and visiting your website for further information here  

PROTOMYXZOA RHEUMATICA IMPLICATED IN CHRONIC ILLNESSES

Listen to internet radio with Focus on Health on Blog Talk Radio

1 Step Blood Test Discovers Protozoa under Biofilm Structure

by Focus on Health

in Health

Fri, May 20, 2011 Dr Stephen Fry Interview

Thanks to Better Health Guy for the following  here

Steve Fry MD

• Presented on FL1953 which is now called Protomyxzoa rheumatica.
• Has found Ivermectin, Flagyl, and a low-fat diet to be helpful.
• Studies that have been done on Multiple Sclerosis patients show that patients live longer when on low-fat diets.
• Likes testing from Infectolab from Dr. Armin Schwarzbach for Chlamydia and Mycoplasma.
• Biofilm is an aggregate of microorganisms in which cells adhere to each other or to a surface.  Bacterial biofilms are a structured community of bacterial cells enclosed in a self-produced matrix according to Bill Costerton, a world leader in biofilm research.
• Lipids (fats) play a role in biofilms.
• Biofilms impact teeth, drinking water, paper manufacturing, ship hulls, medical implants, food processing, cooling towers, oil recovery, and much more.
• Iron, calcium, and magnesium all play a role in biofilm formation; be careful about the minerals that you use as these may add to the biofilms.
• There are 1,000 organisms in normal oral flora found in biofilms.
• Biofilms consist of extracellular DNA, proteins, and polysaccharides.
• Biofilms are microbial cells and EPS (extracellular polymeric substances).  EPS may be 50-90% of the biolfilm.
• Microbes are quorum sensing – biofilm communities talk to each other.  Decision making is made by decentralized groups to coordinate behavior.  This is used to coordinate gene expression.
• When microbes come together in a group, it becomes a more complex entity.
• Biofilms play a role in many diseases including ear/nose/throat, dental, respiratory, urology, orthopedic, chronic wounds, medical devices, catheters, chronic inflammation and osteonecrosis.
• Many areas of disease in the body are related to biofilms.  Coronary artery disease, MS, ALS all have association with biofilm communities.
• 46/50 children with otitis media (ear infection) had biofilms.  Chronic rhinosinusitis is a combination of  biofilms and several microbes.
• Biofilm plays a role in cystic fibrosis.
• Nanobacteria can be a cause for kidney stones and generates biofilm.
• In chronic wounds, bacteria is protected from systemic antibiotics and host defenses by biofilms which makes infection difficult to clear.
• Actinomyces, Acinetobacter, Treponema, and others are found in dental biofilms.
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacteria that is a profound biofilm former.
• Biofilm infections are difficult to eradicate.
• The immune system recognizes the infection, but it cannot eradicate it.
• Items that have been researched in biofilm treatment: Manuka honey, enzymes, multiple antibiotics, bismuth thiols, restricting metals, botanicals, mechanical removal, and EDTA to help chelate magnesium.   Magnesium is a main stabilizing force in biofilms.
• Other substances that are of interest to biofilm researchers include: Lactoferrin, Xylitol, Gallium, Dispersin, Farnesol, RNAIII inhibiting peptide, and Furanone C30.
• Corneal eye disease may be Acanthamoeba infection (protozoan).
• Protomyxzoa rheumatica (FL1953) is an Apicomplexa.
• CCSVI is a very hot topic but is also quite controversial.  One has to suspect biofilm communities.
• Organisms living in biofilm communities are usually not culturable.
• Biofilms are the rule, not exception.  They are ubiquitous.
• Book – "Biofilm Primer" by Bill Costerton.
• There is a Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University - http://www.biofilm.montana.edu/
• Silver is a well known biofilm inhibitor.
• Ozone is used in industry to reduce biofilms.  Not sure if it works in humans, but may break up biofilm communities.
• Fry Labs does microscopy, serology, and molecular diagnostics.
• Protomyxzoa is an inflammatory trigger and vascular pathogen.
• Louis Pasteur believed that all diseases are caused by infections.
• Some autoimmune conditions include Graves, Hashimoto’s, Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, Insulin Requiring Diabetes Mellitus, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, ALS, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogren's.
• Thomas McPherson Brown suggested that autoimmune disease is infectious in nature; primarily Mycoplasma.  The book “The Arthritis Breakthrough” was written by Brown in 1992.
• Fry has seen Protomyxzoa and biofilm in CFS, Fibromyalgia, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson’s, Autism, and other conditions.
• In their smear testing, they originally identified Hemobartonella which included Hemoplasma. Today, they suggest that Epierythrocytic bacteria is a better term.  They rarely find actual Bartonella when doing PCR testing but have found cousins.
• Even a single organism can protect itself with biofilm.
• People with parasitic infections are immunocompromised.
• They have found a host of different types of bacteria in biofilms – Ralstonia, Acinetobacter (commonly seen in many patients).
• Protomyxzoa is a slime forming protozoa.  It produces biofilm.
• In ALS, 6 of 6 tested had Protomyxzoa.  5 of 6 tested has Ralstonia which is also a biofilm former.  They see profound biofilm communities.
• When one is infected with Plasmodium as a child, it reduces later incidence of Multiple Sclerosis.  The efficacy of quinine in the treatment of MS supports this connection.
• They are able to culture Protomyxzoa now.  The entire thing becomes like gelatin and they cannot get it off the microtiter plates.
• They have seen filaments as long as 3 or 4 inches in some blood samples.  When sticky stuff is coming out during a blood draw, it may not be a clot, but may be a filament or biofilm.
• In CCSVI, filaments of Protomyxzoa may be involved.  It is a vascular disease and may lead to inflammation of the vessel or vasculitis.
• Protomyxzoa has been isolated from Culex tarsalis and Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes.  81% by PCR carried Protomyxzoa.
• Dogs have Protomyxzoa more than cats and the older the dog, the more likely they are to have Protomyxzoa.
• Diseases are infectious and a biofilm forming protozoan could be at the heart of the problem.
• Treatment may include Tetracyclines, Plaquenil, Flagyl, herbs, enzymes, McDougall diet, and mechanical interventions such as CCSVI venoplasty.
• One should generally not consume arginine, folic acid, or magnesium as these may strengthen the protozoan and thus the biofilm.
• As for folic acid supplementation, some breads have 5% folic acid by weight.  Folic acid may increase cancer risk.  Protozoans love folic acid.
• For autoimmune conditions, antimalarials, antibiotics, anti-protozoals, anti-fungals, anti-biofilm agents, biologics, and dietary modifications may be beneficial.
• Enbrel may be helpful in some for reducing the inflammatory response.
• Fry Labs is now working on drug sensitivity studies.
• CCSVI treatment includes a mechanical clearing or balloon procedure.  It runs about 10K.  There was reportedly one death from a CCSVI procedure.
• Stents do not do very well in veins.
• From the Hubbard Study, about 1/3 feel worse, 1/3 feel nothing, and 1/3 get better with some significantly better.  One bedridden runner was running again after the procedure.
• Protozoans love lipids (fats).  The McDougall diet is used as part of treatment.  Doxycycline and tetracyclines may target the fatty acid synthesis machinery.
• Toxoplasmosis is also dependent on fats.
• Protomyxzoa grows 100 times faster with fats than without.
• There is a reduction in relative biofilms with the McDougall diet.
• In some people where they had seen the organism and biofilms, they could not find the organism after being on the McDougall diet.  Unfortunately, after starting to eat higher fat content, the microbe was again present and visible.
• They did a test in people with Protomyxzoa using a 12.5 day water fast and levels of Protomyxzoa dropped to undetectable.  Within 2 days of eating again, it was back.
• Protomyxzoa is found in CFS, Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn’s, MS, Parkinson’s, ALS, Autism, Scleroderma, and others.
• Protomyxzoa is Public Enemy #1.
• Protomyxzoa loves fat.  It is complex.  It is drug-resistant.
• Antiprotozoals or anthelmintics may be good options.
• Roy Swank Diet – 0 people on a regular diet lived with MS for 30 years.  In those on low fat diets, all but 1 was still alive.
• Protomyxzoa leads to vascular disease and chronic inflammation.  There are coagulation impairments and retrograde venous blood flow.
• Many systemic diseases can be explained as vascular phenomenon.
• Protomyxzoa is likely transmitted by mosquitoes.  Ticks are being analyzed.
• The protozoan is believed to be the foundation pathogen.
• It is not an intracellular bug; it is a big bug.  Likely exists more on the surface of the RBC, not inside.
• Patients often get worse when on magnesium.  He does not support the use of topical magnesium either.
• Bismuth may play a role as a biofilm inhibitor.
• Omega fats from chicken and plants are probably the best.
• Interestingly, it may be that magnesium is sequestered in the body and not always low as magnesium levels seem to go back to normal when the Protomyxzoa is treated.
• Dr. Fry previously had a success rate of over 70% with his patients.  Since introducing dietary modifications, this has now gone to over 90%.
• http://www.frylabs.com

For information about the work of Dr Brown which Dr Fry refers to see The Roadback Foundation here  and an earlier post here  with a video of Dr Brown and his work.

LYME DISEASE, CHLAMYDIA, HHV-6, HIV, XMRV

ILADS professional conference a success
09 October, 2010 11:54:00
Dave Martz
( click here for Dr Martz story and also here for earlier posts mentioning him)

The conference was a huge success thanks to the innumerable contributions by board members, vendors, volunteers, donors, hotel staff, ILADS webmaster, program committee members – and especially our Executive Director, Barbara Buchman, who lived and breathed ILADS 2010 coordination and details from conception through its conclusion.

Go to ILADS here to read the full report.

Extract -
Chronic Lyme Disease and Multiple Chronic Infectious Disease Syndrome

The Guest Speaker Scientific Sessions explored clinical and pathophysiological mechanisms of other infectious diseases (e.g., Chlamydia, HHV-6, HIV, XMRV) that may apply to the syndromes of Chronic Lyme Disease, in addition to specific roles of cytokines and biofilms.

They also addressed strategies, methods, and resources needed to generate credible clinical studies and publications essential to achieving scientific acceptance of the Chronic Lyme concept.

A DVD containing most of the conference presentations is available from ILADS www.ilads.org for only $40.00

THE THIRD HUMAN RETROVIRUS AND CO INFECTIONS

Questions and answers with Dr Garth Nicolson 09/13/10

richvank

- The retroviruses

Will you please comment on the newly discovered MLV-related retroviruses in CFS patients, and what relationship they might have to the other infectious pathogens you have found in CFS.

Thanks.Rich Van Konynenburg

Reply:

Hi Rich,

The newly evolving field of human gamma retroviruses (HGV), also called XMRV , and chronic illnesses like CFS/FMS is fascinating. This type of virus has now been found at high incidence in some but not all studies on CFS patients. There may be technical reasons why some groups have not found these infections, but the field is new and in constant flux.

My guess is that similar to other related retroviruses the HGV may cause changes in our immune systems rather than directly causing the most obvious signs and symptoms associated with CFS. Their effect may thus be indirect, just like the HIV-1 retrovirus causing immune suppression in AIDS rather than directly causing the symptoms of AIDS.

Thus HGV may set up patients for other opportunistic infections, such as Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, Borrelia, CMV, HHV6 and other bacteria and viruses that actually cause most CFS symptoms.

This is why patients who have these other infections, such as bacterial infections, benefit from their specific treatment in the absence of anti-viral treatment. This would not occur if the symptoms were entirely caused by a retrovirus.

Thus I predict that anti-retrovirus treatment will not eliminate most symptoms in CFS patients, because they are more likely caused by other infections.

However, modulating immune responses by suppressing viruses that could affect immune systems could have some positive effects. Eventually this will all be worked out, and we will find out what role retroviruses, along with other bacteria and viruses, play in chronic illnesses like CFS and FMS.

From Prohealth here

All questions and answers can be found here