posted 07-03-2001 01:15 AM            

WASHINGTON (AP) - Dust from the African deserts is bringing germs and fungi across the Atlantic. Researchers who tested samples of the dust collected last summer warn that "pathogenic microbes associated with dust clouds may pose a risk to ecosystem and human health."

"You can transport a lot of stuff through the atmosphere." - Joseph M. Prospero

Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies

While windborne transport of African dust to North and South America long has been known, scientists thought few microbes would survive the trip because of exposure to ultraviolet radiation in the atmosphere.

Researchers now believe the dust clouds themselves block enough light to protect bacteria and other microbes during the five- to seven-day journey.

The findings of the group, led by Dale W. Griffin of the U.S. Geological Survey, are reported in the June issue of the journal Aerobiologia.

About 10 percent of the microbes identified were "opportunistic pathogens," Griffin said in a telephone interview.

They are organisms that do not cause disease in healthy humans but could affect someone with a compromised immune system, such as AIDS patients, the very old or young, and transplant or cancer patients with suppressed immune systems, he said.

"For most healthy individuals, I don't think it's a problem," said Griffin, a public health and environmental microbiologist.

PLANTS AFFECTED

In addition, he said, 25 percent of the microbes were known plant pathogens that affect elm trees or such crops as peaches, cotton and rice.

Joseph M. Prospero, director of the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies at the University of Miami, said his research in Barbados also had seen fungi and bacteria associated with African dust.

He said there had been a "very clear association" of sharply increased incidence of viable fungi and bacteria in African dust arrivals.

"There's no question you can transport a lot of stuff through the atmosphere," Prospero said in a telephone interview.

When the trajectories of the dust are traced backward, the dust clouds with the bacteria come only from Africa, while dust arriving from Europe or North America does not include bacteria, said Prospero, who was not associated with Griffin's team.

The movement of African dust across the ocean has been increasing in recent years with the growing drought in Africa. It peaks in June through October. Large dust arrivals have been measured over roughly 30 percent of the United States, with about half the volume settling on Florida.

"The high concentration of dust impacting the Caribbean may pose a significant public health threat, particularly as it pertains to respiratory disease," the researchers wrote.

GROWING SENSITIVITY

They noted that once a person was sensitized to fungi, exposure to even small amounts could trigger an allergic reaction.

They cited a 17-fold increase in the prevalence of asthma in Barbados from 1973 to 1996. "This increase corresponds to the observed increase in African dust flux impacting Barbados," they said.

The dust also has been implicated in coral reef damage in the Caribbean.

Griffin collected dust samples in St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, and sent them for testing to Virginia Harrison at the agency's laboratory in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Using NASA satellites to track the African dust clouds, they were able to take air samples both on clear days and on days with dust plumes affecting the region.

On the dusty days, there averaged 158 bacteria, 213 viruses and 201 fluorescent bacteria in about a quart of air. By comparison, the same volume of air on a clear day averaged 18 bacteria, 18 viruses and none of the fluorescent bacteria.

Other members of the research team included Jay R. Herman of NASA and Eugene A. Shinn of the Geological Survey.

© 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Borrowed from another site./ www.rense.com

posted 07-03-2001 11:10 AM            

Posted By: PuzzlePieces on Rumor Mill News Read Only Forum at
http://www.rumormillnews.net/cgi-bin/config.pl?read=9999

Excerpts:

….. Is there any doubt about who the REAL 'criminals' are?

While the Air Force poisons our skies, the NAVY IS DESTROYING THE OCEAN LIFE!

….. In the following list demonstrating a pattern of stranding connected to sonar exposure, it's important to note that the brain and tissue fissures, lesions, and ruptures as well as mass starvation consistently found in these marine mammal corpses resemble the symptoms of sonar exposure described by the Marine Mammal Commission when in 1997 they predicted that "...lung and tissue hemorrhage and trauma in marine mammals (and fish) as well as cavity explosion and hearing loss causing subsequent starvation was likely to occur if LFAS was employed worldwide as proposed." …..

….. The Bahamas - On March 14, 2000 mass dolphin and whale strandings coincided with US low frequency active sonobuoy testing. Tests on these whales proved that they had died from brain cavity, ear, and other tissue explosion. …..
and so on.

….. In view of indications that brain and body tissue explodes and body cavities (bladders, lungs, and ear canals) rupture when exposed to sonar blasts, it is plausible to assume that most affected marine mammals will sink to the ocean floor, rather than make their way to a beach in order for us to view their plight. …..

I would think that mammals would try to escape from the sceeaming water and beach themselves. Just as whales and dolphins did/ do and will do.

Chemtrails and VTRPE over the seas and inland, and sonar in the deep, it is the NAVY show all the way.

posted 07-03-2001 11:22 AM            

Could be the Middle East PTB sending all this to us...they don't like us supporting Sharon...

MollyGainYa, with love and sadness

posted 07-04-2001 04:10 PM            

Last time I checked, my blood was red, and I came from human parents. I am an active member of the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and Ducks Unlimited.

Is there ANYTHING that you are not blaming on the military? Is there ANYTHING that you read online that points the finger at the military that you DO NOT believe? Is there anything that is "pro-chemtrail" that you do not believe? Once again, you read it online, it must be true. I hope you don't read http://www.theonion.com or http://www.weeklyworldnews.com and believe them. If so, I'd venture to say that your next post will be about Bat Boy.

Anarchy may be the solution for you, but it sure isn't for me. If you think you are tyrannzied now, imagine a world where you can't go to the police or the military to protect you. You may think it sounds fun, but I'm afraid that reality would be much different. Different, that is, until we as a species are able to handle acting like grown-ups and being responsible.