Case studies.
Queniborough, Lympstone, Sardinia
On this page I will be providing
details and observations of ongoing case studies- updated as info.
comes in.
1.Queniborough, nr.Leicester, vCJD research.
The latest research into the vCJD cluster tells us nothing about
the cause or incubation period of the disease or why there is
such a high incidence of vCJD/CJD in Queniborough.
The proposal is that slight spillage of brain material, as a
result of splitting the skull, followed by a wipe only, clean of
the carcass, has raised the level of mutant bovine prion to a
very high level in the food chain in the area. It is suggested
that this traditional practice of splitting the skull was
employed by local butchers from whom victims families had
purchased beef. However this practice was fairly common in
throughout the UK at the time. No evidence is presented to show
the distribution of the practice.
There are many problems with this proposal.
In the eighties and much of the nineties, brain and spinal cord
material was used at high level in many processed meat products
consumed throughout the UK pies, soups, pasties, patties,
burgers, gravies, sauces and purees. The tiny additional fraction
of brain material entering the food chain from this spillage
would be totally insignificant in terms of total dose.
Therefore no additional risk in terms of meat products has been
established for Queniborough.
There is no experimental evidence that shows beef products in the
food chain can transmit BSE in animals. Work with homogenate is
not satisfactory because we dont eat homogenate .Science
must be precise.
There was a case of classical CJD 12 years ago in a road where 2
vCJD cases subsequently occurred This was ignored by the
team but is significant.
Theres recently been a case of Feline Spongiform
Encephalopathy (FSE) which was also ignored.
The pattern within this and other clusters such as Armthorpe and
Adswood is of cases very close together (200M ) which strongly
suggests it is environmental topography and not eating beef that
is the key to finding the cause.
Only when we know the cause and whether it is acute or chronic in
nature can we hope to estimate the incubation period.The claims
that this research gives us a good indication of the incubation
are incorrect because they can't point to a time ( a day, a
month, a year?) when the alleged infection occurred.
We have carried out preliminary research at Queniborough and
Armthorpe, Doncaster and have identified the following potential
risk factors:
Queniborough our main findings.
Many Local people reported chronic pollution incidents in the 80s
and 90s from a, now closed, dyeworks in Queniborough. Manganese
is used in dyes. A yellow dust would often settle around the
village.This could be breathed in, lodge in sinuses, get in the
eye. The eye(retina and lid) contains very high levels of prion
protein and TSEs are thought to start here.Oxidising agents may
be in the form of a di thiophosphate head lice shampoo.The risk
may only be when this gets in the eye. Exposure to similar
pesticides by spray drift could also be relevant here.
The nearby village of East Goscote was built after the war on the
site of an old munitions dump. Shortly after, the houses in
Ringway road were built where 1CJD and 2 vCJD cases have
occurred, 300M across the fields in Queniborough.
Theres anecdotal evidence of 11 cases of ME/CFS on one side
of the high street.( The Ringway is off the high street) This is
interesting because ME does resemble moderate Mn toxicity.(I'm an
ME sufferer, my own intracellular Mn is near the top of ref.
range)
We took several soil, water and herbage samples around
Queniborough. Levels of Manganese are mostly high to v.high in
the area.This may reflect soil treatments as much as natural
levels- more research needed.
Sewage sludge spraying, with drift, has been carried out on some
of the fields. Reactive metals, such as Manganese, are usually
concentrated in these treatments.
Compare our findings in another CJD clusters : ie In Slovakia
there was a major problem with Mn pollution; very high natural
levels of Mn that underpinned the local subsistence diet; bio
concentration in some of their foods; brain tissue analysis
revealed Mn levels 10x normal in the CJD victims (unpublished
data from Dr David Brown, Cambridge Uni.)
This is only a start and well keep you posted as our
studies progress. CJD is a complex multi factorial disease like
Alzheimers.Some of the above points will probably turn out
to be red herrings- But you have to sift through all the likely
factors. We are not paid for this work and have to do it in our
spare time and we bear most of the expenses ourselves so progress
can be slow.
Lympstone cliffs and manganese deposits in lower cliff.
2.Lympstone, East Devon: vCJD
There have been 2 cases of vCJD in
Lympstone, a village on the Exe estuary. It's worth noting that
there have been a significant number of vCJD cases on the coast/hinterland.
One of our correspondents, who lives near by, drew my attention
to some Manganese sources in the area: old Mn mines just north of
Lympstone and a Geological survey of the Estuary cliff area at
Lympstone which can be read in full at - www.devon.gov.uk/geology/ESC.pdf
I quote from this study
'The origin of scattered soft black pebbles in the breccia seen
in the bay south of the bridge under the railway (at Lympstone)
is uncertain. They now occur as crumbling lumps in the cliffs,
and would have been hard rock when they were deposited. Since
then they have been broken down within the rock by chemical
reactions and the soft manganese rich powder that remains tells
us very little of what the original rock was.'
The Manganese is present as small hard rocks and deposits of a
putty like consistency. I couldn't find any examples of the soft
rich powder referred to above.These samples are mostly very low
down the cliffs and below the high tide mark. It's unlikely that
this is being spread by wind. Its probable that small amounts
will be dissolving in the river and the natural Mn levels are
much higher in the river basin. Changes are occuring due to
erosion that could potentially have increased the risk over
recent years.
There are many other relevant points in the survey such as the
presence of other potential free radical generating metals:
volcanic rocks - which are known to contain high levels of
reactive metals such as Mn (cf TSEs are often found in volcanic
environments : scrapie in Iceland, the Cheviots, Manna Island,
Sicily; Kuru in New Guinea etc )
'iron stained clay, coating the sand grains' - sand/excavations
are common at CJD sites
granitic strata.
Beef seems highly unlikely again. There's no
reason why BSE prion material, that was so common in the |UK,
should be dangerous in Lympstone (and a handful of other places).
One of the victims was a long serving Marine from the Lympstone
barracks. Due to the suspected long incubation period this long
service would be expected if, as I believe, the location is
biologically significant. It seems unlikely that he would have
bought and consumed beef from the local butcher. The local
butcher may however have supplied the barracks and this would be
easy to check.
There are a number of other factors of interest. There's a garden
centre/nursery in the village in which pesticides are often
sprayed. Our correspondent, who suffers from a chemically
generated CFS caused by a series of acute exposures, reported
severe symptoms from this spray drift when he lived in the
village. On moving he experienced considerable health
improvements.
This part of the estuary is known as 'tornado alley' and this
would be relevant to airborne pollutants.
The river exe has been the subject of several pollution incidents
over the years.
There's a sewage works near the Barracks.
I've taken samples from the area and am awaiting the results of
the analysis.
There's no obvious answer to this but the Mn and OPs are
suspicious -the route of exposure is problematic.The key lies in
the environmental/biological common ground shared by the two
victims dating back over a couple of decades.
3/8/01
3. Sardinia : scrapie - brief
summary of my findings from Autumn 2000 trip.
Plastics factory and industrial area at
Ottana, central Sardinia, looking East towards the Barbagian
mountains and the scrapie cluster zone of mountain villages 10 -20KM
beyond : Gavoi, Olzai, Ollolai, Sarule and Mamoiada (with Mt Ortobene and Orune to the NE)
First scrapie on the Island : 1982.near Iglesias and near Ardara,
with subsequent outbreaks near Ozieri, 1985,88,96,99,2000;
Siamanna(near Oristano) 1998; Budduso 2000; Orune 1999,2000; Mte.Ortobene
1989; Mamoiada 1990, 2000; Gavoi 1999; Ollolai 1998,99,2000;
Olzai 1997,1998; Sarule 1999; Silanus 2000; Assemini/ Decimomannu.
Some vets think meat and bonemeal feed may be responsible for the
outbreaks; other theories involve vaccinations containing mutant
prion, but not all sheep had had these.The clustering and the
continued occurence in some locations make this very unlikely -
why should dodgy feed or vaccines always end up in Ozieri or the
western Barbagian for example.
Locations of Sardinian scrapie. see Fig 1.
Siamanna
Siamanna is on the Western slopes of mountainous terrain, 17KM
downwind of an industrial centre at Oristano and Stagno di Santa
Giusta on the Central Western coast. Visited but no samples taken
here.
Iglesias
Early Scrapie outbreak 1982, situated downwind approx 15KM of the
industrial town of Iglesias (SW coast) Not visited.
Assemini and Decimomannu
Scrapie a few kilometres to the NW of Airport and the industrial
centre of Cagliari.(South) Not visited.
Ozieri and Ardara (Budduso)
The Ottana industry may be of less relevance to these locations
but its N orientation is plausible, albeit with a greater
distance of 38KM over mountains.
The scrapie locations lie down wind of a large cement factory in
SE Sassari and an electrical plant in Codringianos, in the valley
bottom between 12- 36KM. Theres also a redundant volcano at
Ardara.
The farm at Occhetta (nr Ozieri) although partly low lying does
occupy foothills on which the sheep were grazing.
There are some interesting factors on the farm: sheep were being
treated for the bacterial disease, foot rot with
copper sulphate (bluestone) foot bath. The other possible copper
connection was the presence of a bank in the farm yard near to
the CuSO4 bath which was of a similar blue green colour. The
rocky soil was through coloured over a wide area and subsequent
investigation revealed other extensive banks at the roadside
bounding the farm where the consistency was harder and on the
next door farm.
| I also found similar banks in North Ozieri, near San Nicola where the other Scrapie outbreaks have occurred. Sardinia was well known for its copper mines. Notwithstanding this soil turned out to be high in mn and not cu! | |
| Bank outside Occhetta farm. |
There were 2 main industrial plants that are likely to be relevant here. A large cement factory (now redundant) is situated SE of the city of Sassari at the head of a valley that leads Eastwards firstly down to N.Ardara 17KM. the location for first Sardinian Scrapie in 1982. To the SW is the extinct volcano Meilogu at Ardara which has left its legacy of basalt in the area. Secondly Ozieri is 35KM east of the factory. Cement manufacture is known to be a major source of polluting chemicals that generate acid rain and metals. A large electricity generating plant at Codrongianos is also situated in this valley 26KM upwind of Ozieri and 10KM to the SW of the Ardara scrapie.
The Barbagian cluster.(Gavoi,
Olzai, Ollolai, Sarule and Mamoiada
with Mt Ortobene and Orune to the NE)
I propose that the many cases in the Barbagian mountains are
related to the industrial centre in Ottana with the large
plastics factory being particularly relevant. Firstly the
temporal association is strong. The first cases started about 5
years after the factory was built which is consistent with a
short period for polluting factors to be established and then the
incubation of the disease.
The orientation also fits with this view. The earliest and most
intense cluster point is east of the factory, downwind with less
intense distribution only beginning after 10 years (ie in
Silanus, NW of the factories ).The scrapie is largely occuring on
land inclined towards the factory (Western slopes) and also at
high altitudes ( approx 400 800 metres, Mt Ortobene 1000M)
where precipitation would be more intense. UV and ozone is also
more intense at higher altitudes.
Where chlorinated emissions are present such as in plastics manufacture, these are likely to rise, eventually to the stratosphere, creating additional Cl atoms by photodissociation that are known to break down the stratospheric ozone layer.This allows greater penetration of UV radiation to the earth. There are also likely to be periods of high ground level ozone production derived from industry and traffic that drift and concentrate away from the source.
A similar scenario was found in Slovakias High Tatra mountains, western slopes, with CJD and scrapie occurring downwind of steel factories that had failed to remove high mn from their emissions. This added more mn and to an area that already had naturally high levels + acid rain etc.
The site specific Fenton/Haber-Weiss
Hydroxyl radical (OH)/Histidine interaction: the critical
initiation event of all TSEs?
This hypothesis suggests that this type of reaction is a likely
candidate because of its specificity. Many neurological diseases
including TSEs share many non specific markers of OS such as
lipofuscin, lipid peroxidation and high intracellular calcium etc
which would be expected from the peripheral generalised cellular
OS, although not critical in the initiatiation of TSEs. I propose
that the event occurs on the cell membrane phase of the prion
cycle when there is added risk of interaction with reactive
substrates and metals available for catalysis.
The risks for this type of toxic reaction would include
:
1) Abundance, lack or dysregulation of metals cu, mn, zn, that
are incorrectly bound to PrPc or freed from their protein sinks.
2) A substitution for cu at the octapeptide domain of PrPc, most
likely by mn. Mn can scavenge both superoxide(O2-) and hydroxyl(OH')
radicals but as PrPc/mn it cannot function as an anti oxidant for
long.
3 ) Raised extracellular oxidants, particularly O2- or Hydrogen
peroxide(H2O2) that beget the OH radical of Fenton or Haber-
Weiss.
4) Increase in acidity would exacerbate no.1 ie reduction in
binding of many metals is known to occur in mild acidic
conditions : cu to PrPc and caeruloplasmin, Fe to transferrins.(
1p36)
Fenton reactions involve the reaction of H2O2 + a metal catalyst
such as cu in which the catalytic metal is oxidised to form a 2+
or possibly a 3+ form with the production of a hydroxyl radical :
ie H2O2 + Cu+ = OH' +OH- + Cu2+ (orCu3+) .
Mn is less certain as a catalyst but in the presence of
bicarbonate/CO2 Mn(II) is able to catalyse Fenton reactions.
The Haber Weiss reaction is one in which O2- reacts with H2O2 in
the presence of a reactive metal such as Cu, Fe
producing OH radicals.
The OH radical produced is known to cause
a contained site specific reaction confined to the residue to
which the catalytic metal is bound. This has structural
implications potentially causing the misfolding to PrPsc through
its alteration of the hydrophobic/philic balance of the protein.
It is proposed that this OH radical oxidation of the
octapeptide histidine sites involving the bound metal, whether cu
or mn, is the critical event that initiates sporadic TSEs.
Environmental factors and the
histidine residues to which cu or mn is bound.
It's proposed that increases in free radical and acid generating
molecules, such as Ozone(O3) and UV, NO2,SO2 are factors that
have lead to scrapie on the Island by creating cellular and soil
conditions that favour the formation of pathogenic PrPsc/cu3+ or
mn3+.
OZONE
O3 is a toxic gas formed by photodissociation of O2 by sunlight.
In the stratosphere the ozone layer protects the earth from
excessive penetration of UV.
O3 can accumulate at ground level from the action of sunlight or
electrical discharge on gases such as NO2, SO2. The journey and
impact of such 'photochemical' smog is related to topography,
industrial /traffic pollution and wind direction.
Most of O3's affects are mediated through its ability to generate
H2O2 and nitric oxide (NO) .
This can have benefits. In some controlled circumstances it can
mitigate against ROS ie of hepatic injuries. It can be used in
combination with UV and H2O2 to remove some pesticides (atrazine)
from surface waters.
Studies on rainbow trout showed that O3 created ROS damage to red
cells (hemolysis, methemoglobin, lipid peroxidation) by
generating H2O2 in the cell that reacted with Hb independantly of
Fe.
Fig 1. Map showing distribution of scrapie and some
important industrial plants in North Sardinia.

Results of soil and herbage analysis
Sardinia Herbage : Collected 31st October- 5th
November 2000
Analysis at Reading and Derby Universities. Results in mg/Kg dry
basis or %m/m = mass for mass where marked.
| Sample site | Na %m/m |
K %m/m |
Mg %m/m |
Zn | Pb | Cd | Co | Fe | Cu | Mn | Ca %m/m |
| Gavoi farm 1 | 0.15 | 1.85 | 0.1 | 20 | 9 | 0.01 | <1 | 15.5 | 11.5 | 128.5 | 0.2 |
| Gavoi farm 3 | 0.1 | 3.15 | 0.1 | 31.5 | 7.5 | 0.01 | 2 | 96.5 | 3.0 | 120 | 0.4 |
| Occhetta, nr Ozieri | 0.4 | 3.45 | 0.2 | 34 | 38 | 0.25 | 2 | 117 | 39 | 91 | 0.3 |
| Ollolai | 0.1 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 27 | 8.5 | 0.01 | <1 | 42 | 4.0 | 140 | 0.45 |
| Osilo (control) High category |
0.25 | 0.85 | 0.1 | 25 >60 |
15 | 0.01 | <1 | 28 | 28 >16 |
58 >100 |
0.25 |
Sardinia Soil (conc in solid) ug/g
| Scrapie Farms | Cu | Mn | Zn |
| Gavoi farm 1 | 5.6 | 409 | 51.9 |
| Gavoi farm 2 | 3.1 | 746 | 38.8 |
| Gavoi farm 3 | 3.4 | 598 | 35.5 |
| Occhetta Farm 1 nr Ozieri | 3.7 | 788 | 5.7 |
| ditto | 5.8 | 586 | 7.2 |
| ditto | 6.1 | 923 | 16.2 |
| Ollolai | 3.2 | 593 | 47.7 |
| scrapie free | |||
| Osilo (Control) | 7.1 | 148 | 17.8 |
| |High category | >30 | >350 | >60 |
These samples were taken at the end of a long spell of dry weather.There was some rain around whilst I was collecting..
Gavoi, farm 1 had scrapie in 1999. It was approx 700 M above
sea level, a second farm 1.5 KM to the east had also had scrapie.
Farm 3 was 2KM beyond farm 2 to the East and over the moutain on
the East side. It had not had scrapie but the sheep had had
Bluetongue virus and the whole flock had recently been
slaughtered.
The Mn was fairly high in herbage and very high in the soil on
all farms except the control where it was within mean.. In Ozieri
the herbage mn,cu,fe,zn,cd and pb were raised. Interestingly
copper was low in the soil here but very high in the herbage.
Discussion.
These results differ in some respects from other TSE
environments studied. The main difference is the v.high Cu in the
herbage at Ozieri, an area that has many outbreaks over 16 years.
Most other metals are also fairly high in the herbage in that
location. Also Ozieri is low lying in contrast to the mountainous
regions where most scrapie is found.
In common with other environments there is a high soil Mn level
where scrapie occurs although in the herbage mn is not as high as
most of the other TSE locations we have tested - Iceland/Slovakia/Colorado.The
map illustrates how scrapie is downwind from some industrial
factors and is situated in topograhpy where photochemical
oxidative factors O3 and UV, would accumulate-cement factory at
Sassari and plastics at Ottana being the most important. The area
immediately above the polluting source is protected from UV by
the scattering and absorbtion properties of many polluting gases
such as NO2 and SO2.
Osilo (the control) has slightly raised levels for herbage Cu,
but in the case of Mn this is the lowest result.
Gavoi, Farm 3 is not a true control as scrapie may reach some
other local farms in the area over the next few years.The metal
levels are consistent with other scrapie environments. The main
factor that might have protected this farm is its position on
Eastern slopes where precipitation affects from industry are
likely to be less. I would argue that acid rainfall, altered UV
penetration and wavelength, and any pollutants from the
industrial area at Ottana, with the large plastics factory built
in the late eighties are the key initiating factors in the
scrapie that started in the nineties.
Acidity is known to make metals such as mn and aluminium more
available for uptake by plants. Slightly acid conditions in cells
are also known to alter binding of key metals to prions and
predispose to formation of PrPsc. Acidity generated by industrial
emmissions can be present in fogs, snow as well as rainfall. Dry
deposits from emmissions would be highest on the Western
foothills close to industrial sources.
Mild increase in acidity in the sheep via lactic acidosis due to
increased altitude may also be a factor in the many mountain
locations. The increased altitude would result in higher UV
levels also make the blood brain barrier more permeable to metal
uptake into the brain.
I propose that this acidity may affect cells at certain peripheral points of the sheep before normal acid /base homeostasis has had time to redress the balance, increasing susceptibility. For example the eye could have long exposure to atmospheric acidity via smogs, rain etc as well as UV light; the feet, when lesioned in foot rot particularly. PrPc is expressed in the skin and at vulnerable interfaces and also in immune cells such as neutrophils. As the sheep at Occhetta had foot rot their immune systems would be expected to mount a phagocytic attack in the foot area. Neutrophils are involved in the lysis of bacteria with H2O2, OH', peroxide radicals via respiratory burst -some chemicals are released into the phagocytic vacuole and some into the extra cellular space. Its feasible that under adverse conditions these products may not be metabolised properly oxidising PrPc on the neutrophil membrane at the burst.
It is intriguing to think that scrapie could be initiated in
lesioned feet.- One characteristic of scrapie is the presence of
pruritis around the legs/feet. In the case of bacterial foot rot
there is the added factor of respiratory phagocytic bursts of
Fenton substrates coupled with a) chronic exposure of the blood/lymph
and nerves in the lesioned feet directly into the high soil
cations and acidity(when waterlogged diffusion would be greater).Sheep
often consume soil particles pulled up with their forage.b)
treatment with toxic CuSo4 foot baths introduced additional cu
presenting a severe challenge to distribution proteins and would
no doubt become available for pro oxidant catalytic reactions c)
In increasingly acid conditions due to pollution, metal binding
would be affected before acid base buffers had kicked in. Once
the 'radical fuse' is lit in lesioned areas it could spread by
anterograde transport along peripheral nerves and/or blood
transmission - known transmission routes of TSEs to the CNS.
Most evidence seems to suggest that sporadic TSEs are diseases
initiated by a change in bound cations at the octa repeat region.
Mn for Cu being the common one. Does the Ozieri farm suggest
another scenario where abnormal octapeptide copper, zinc binding
could create scrapie. Much in vitro work suggests that this could
indeed occur.
If this is the case then it represents a different risk from
traditional cu toxicity in which the cu, although high, is
rapidly bound to protective proteins. It's also subject to
compartmentalisation protection by the blood brain barrier.Finally
in most toxicity cases oxidative stress is less intense than in a
TSE environment and this prevents critical site specific Fenton
type reactions occurring.
In this case I think the octapeptide bound copper has come into
contact with an OH' generating substrate like H2O2 and caused
site specific damage to the histidines resulting in conversion to
PrPsc. This would produce a different strain/variant from the mn
type of scrapie that was occurring in Iceland/Slovakia.
Unfortunately no analysis of scrapie PrPsc in relation to bound
metals and strains and or different locations has been carried
out. This would be worthwhile. The increased acidity of 'our
times' bearing on high risk soils in my view is the main factor
that has precipitated scrapie in Sardinia..
An alternative explaination is the high herbage cu is a red herring if as suggested in the paragraphs above direct exposure to the soil is the most important factor then this would be consistent with the the high mn TSEs we've found elsewhere.
Another factor of interest is the higher levels of UV that
would be present in these mountain villages. Higher levels
generally would be expected due to thinning of the stratospheric
ozone layer. The eye, brain, feet and spine would be especially
at risk. Ground level Ozone, which is increasing in Europe by
approx. 1% per year, is also highly likely to be raised in this
environment by the action of UV on pollutants. It usually
concentrates away from the source and drifts downwind and is more
likely to be at the highest concentrations in the mountains.
Mild hypoxia from the altitude may make the blood brain barrier
more permeable allowing more metals through to the brain and
would also tend to mildly increase acidic conditions (lactic
acidosis) that favour deleterious metallic binding changes to the
prion protein and increase the risk of PrPsc formation.
Temporal and orientation factors support the role of industrial emmissions initiating scrapie on Sardinia.
The Barbagian cluster is downwind, to the East, SE, NE, 10-20Km
of the industrial centre of Ottana. The construction of the main
plastics factory predates the scrapie by about 5 years.
Ozieri and Ardara are downwind of large industrial sites- Cement
factory SE of Sassari and electricity generation plant.12- 32Km
Silanus is NW of Ottana and scrapie first appeared here in 2000.
The lag is probably due to the orientation producing less intense
industrial emmissions.
Siamanna is 17Km downind of the industrial areas of Oristano/ San
Giusta
Other scrapie locations not visited are also similarly placed in
relation to industry.
Sardinia is also volcanic(extinct) and is known for copper mining.
Suggested treatment. EDTA is a chelator that is known to be effective in removal of iron fron site specific protein Fenton type radical damage. Its probably effective with cu and mn as well.
I'm currently preparing a full paper for journal submission on Sardinia and some of its implications for TSEs
References: See the 4 papers by Mark on this site that cover UV etc.
Most of these abstracts and some full texts are available free online via medline
They provide direct and backgroud refs to aspects of these cases studies.
4/10/01
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