Ridecamp: [RC] The West Nile Thing, Part one

In view of the recent discussion, I thought I would attach some info I have obtained  recently.  I am a physician and have an avid interest in nutrition.  We have long known that immunotherapy in the form of vaccines is a highly immune function dependant.  By this I mean, people and animals will respond differently to vaccines based on their immune function, at the time.  This is why we don't vaccinate people when they are ill.  When it comes to our equine companions, who knows what there immune function is from week to week.  In general, I believe keeping your horse's immune function healthy not only improves their response immunologically to vaccines but probably reduces their chance of becoming ill whether or not they are vaccinated.  If you look at the literature, studies looking specifically at post vaccine titers are at best highly variable, except perhaps the rabies vaccine.  Interesting note, here:  Horses in general mount a really good host response to rabies vaccin e, lasting several years. So why is it mandatory yearly in most states?  I think it is pretty well accepted at least in veterinary circles that horses are widely overvaccinated, but no one wants to see the negative impact these vaccines have on our horses.  Same with worming practices.  IVERMECTIN IS TOXIC.  I'm not saying it doesn't have a place in treating parasites, but to give it to your horse every 8 weeks just because that's what everyone else does is ludicrious.  A healthy horse with normal gut flora and good farm management will only need worming twice a year, if that.  I've seen reactions to wormers and vaccines alike that are way worse than the WNV illnesses you are describing.  Don't buy into the WNV propaganda.  The makers of this vaccine want you to be terrified to leave your horse unprotected.  The situation is just not that simple.  I have a cat with feline leukemia.  He was fully vaccinated when he got it and my vet said he would have to be put down.  That was 12 years ago, he is still chasing mice.

The following is a posting from Dynamiteonline, a highly reputable company with a long interest in equine health:

That West Nile Thing

That West Nile Thing
(The shot heard round the world??)

Ah, to Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate, that is the current question! In a changing horse world. you can hear the paradigms popping:
Why, you can't ride a barefoot horse!
Ride bareback without a bit? You must be kidding!
Horses must be chemically dewormed daily or semi monthly, or they will die!
You have to give vaccines, of course you do!


As the hysteria over West Nile Virus sweeps the nation, increasing calls come in from Distributors asking "What are we at Dynamite doing about West Nile?" The answer is, just what we always do: We are offering the nutritional support to assist horses and people to be optimally healthy!

We know from the teachings of William Albrecht and C.J Fenzau (and Jim Zamzow!) that Disease is one of Nature's Garbage Collectors. Viruses, bacteria, and parasites are part of The Plan to take out the weak and debilitated beings and plants. The best defense for all is a healthy and fully-functioning immune system.

A little perspecitve on West Nile Virus is in order.

As of Monday, September 9, only 43 deaths and 985 illnesses nationally have been reported in humans since the first outbreak in New York in 1999. That year, 7 people in New York died from the virus. 1 had HIV, and 3 more were on immunosuppressive drugs. All 7 were in their 70's or 80's. By comparison, over 2,000 people died from the flu in New York in 1999. Nationally, the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory has confirmed 645 cases of West Nile Virus in horses, and about 30% have died or have been euthanized. Contrast this to the number of horses that would die of other diseases, colic, founder, accidents etc. in the same time period.
West Nile Virus has not been absolutely proven to even exist!

According to A. J. Cann in Principles of Molecular Virology, Koch defined the four famous criteria now known as Koch's postulates which are still generally regarded as the proof that an infectious agent is responsible for a specific disease:
1. The agent must be present in every case of the disease.
2. The agent must be isolated from the host & grown in vitro.
3. The disease must be reproduced when a pure culture of the agent is inoculated into a healthy susceptible host.
4. The same agent must be recovered once again from the experimentally infected host.
These postulates have not been satisfied for West Nile Virus. But also remember, host defense is the most important factor in determining if a being will be infected with any agent.

The leading cause of bird deaths is pesticide poisoning and not West Nile Virus, as confirmed by New York State Wildlife official Dr. Ward Stone. Of birds collected for sampling, the vast majority had fallen prey to poisoning by common lawn chemicals or other pesticides. Ironically, the pesticides such as malathion that are being used to eradicate mosquitos ar e far more deadly and toxic than the Virus they are trying to prevent. Not only to birds, but to humans as well. Neurological problems, cancer, reproductive defects and more have been linked to common pesticides.
Jim West, an activist, has focused his attention on the use of MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) as a gasoline additive to reduce smog, noting that the majority of cases in birds and humans were in areas with high levels of pollution, where MTBE is used.
The vaccine currently available for horses has not been proven yet to be either safe or effective.

to be continued...

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