Birth Defects in Brazil - Mosquito or MONSANTO

[pbmus]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by BooScout (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Reality Sandwich

The microcephaly now reportedly affecting thousands of babies in Brazil, which the media have attributed to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, may not be caused by a virus after all. According to reports from a group of Argentinian doctors called Physicians in Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST), a chemical called pyriproxyfen — which has been introduced to drinking water in mosquito-ridden areas of Brazil to cause deadly mutations in mosquito larvae — may be the real cause of the birth defect.

In 2014, there were 147 cases of microcephaly reported in Brazil. That year, the Brazilian government began putting the larvicide into drinking water in Pernambuco, the state now reporting 35% of Brazil’s 4000 new microcephaly cases.

The PCST doctors say that previous outbreaks of Zika that infected up to 75% of the population in affected countries did not show a spike in microcephaly cases. PCST (and the New York Times) note that in Colombia, none of more than 3000 pregnant women reported to be infected with the virus has given birth to an infant with microcephaly

Read more: http://realitysandwich.com/319585/birth-defects-in-brazil-mosquito-or-monsanto/

[redruddyred]

2. wouldn't surprise me

zika is part of a larger pattern of "superbugs" hhs and the media picks up every now and again in order to distract from all the things they're doing wrong.

no mention of chronic fatigue, a serious disabling illness which cdc has ignored for 30 years and is just now admitting ~may~ be viral.

[pbmus]

3. naaa, its the suns fault .

[oregonjen]

4. Why did the CDC issue warnings linking the virus to birth defects, did Monsanto influence them?

[pbmus]

6. Please read all of the article and the sources

Thanks for letting us know how much you care...

[redruddyred]

15. cdc has been influenced by outside groups before

in this case i don't know the facts but they're certainly not incorruptible.

[HuckleB]

17. Monsanto is very worried about a product it has nothing to do with.

Oh, wait. What?

[oregonjen]

20. Sumitomo Chemical and Monsanto do have a partnership

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/133955/20160216/clearing-the-air-monsanto-speaks-out-about-zika-virus-microcephaly-and-sumitomo-larvicide.htm

[HuckleB]

22. On a completely separate product. And it's very minor.

And this is not the cause of the birth defects. This has been debunked for days.

[KT2000]

43. the CDC is VERY influenced

by chemical companies. I wish I could tell you the phrases they used in a meeting discussing an illness directly related to toxic substances. Suffice to say no one except the medical director of a legal source for preventing corporate liability in toxic tort cases would have anything to do with it - and he used character assassination of the sick rather than science to silence to issue.
Look at their history when investigating clusters - the work for that is done by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). They never find a chemical responsible for an illness cluster.

The CDC is not the pure scientific agency people think it is - it is political and economy driven. Doctors make more money being corporate medical directors than working at the CDC.

[Major Nikon]

5. The stupid here is pretty strong

For one thing, Monsanto has nothing to do with pyriproxyfen production, but I guess facts and reality shouldn't get in the way of a good rant.

For another, the obviously dubious source referencing an equally dubious source simply dismisses the actual solid science behind the culprit knowing full well that such a misinformation campaign will be well received by those who care little for facts or reality.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/zika-monsanto-pyriproxyfen-microcephaly_us_56c2712de4b0b40245c79f7c

http://www.livescience.com/53756-pesticide-link-to-micracephaly-unlikely.html

[pbmus]

9. Unfortunately for you Monsters are NOT believable

[HuckleB]

13. Wow!

So you have no shame.

[pbmus]

16. Not since I returned from Nam

and was told, don't worry about that stuff coming out of those planes

still don't understand why the taxpayers are paying for my disabilities...

[HuckleB]

18. That has nothing to do with the fictions you are pushing here.

Lame.

[pbmus]

21. When you sell poisons that cause multiple health issues with a wink and a smile

Who is making it up????

[HuckleB]

25. Your OP is conspiracy nonsense. It was debunked days ago.

If you can't admit that reality, you have no business criticizing anyone else. Period.

[pbmus]

28. In all my children's books the monsters are not supposed to be believed

[Humanist_Activist]

30. Its interesting and disturbing that you call you opposition "Monsters" when the most we would call..

you is either misguided, ignorant, or, if you actually know better, a liar.

Its revealing, isn't it?

[pbmus]

35. Your paranoia is obfuscating the truth

be careful who you defend

[Humanist_Activist]

41. Its not paranoia, its an observation, and the only thing I'm defending is critical thinking...

hell, you can't even get the "who" right in your and the article's claims.

[HuckleB]

34. Well, BS fictions are BS fictions.

And that's what you're pushing. You owe everyone a big apology.

[pbmus]

37. I feel threatened by the way you have made me feel

[HuckleB]

38. Sure you do.

What are you gaining by pushing a story on LBN that was debunked days ago?

You're the one who is acting in a dangerous manner toward your fellow humans.

We are awaiting an apology.

[pbmus]

42. You are defending a corporation that produces poisons

that pollute the world and you're asking me to apologize...



Lookup AC/DC Big Balls

[HuckleB]

44. I'm defending honesty, science, and critical thinking.

You are making despicable attacks upon decent people because you posted an OP in LBN that contains nothing but conspiracy nonsense debunked days ago. You have broken DU rules, posted crap from a crap source, and you're not adult enough to admit any of it. That's just sad.

[pbmus]

46. I am feeling attacked from a couple of poison defender s

[HuckleB]

47. You're the one making personal attacks.

Others are simply pointing out the deceit in your posts. The lack of decency is astounding. You owe many apologies.

[pbmus]

50. Personal attacks????

Again my monsters are not believed

[HuckleB]

51. Your fictions won't be believed.

And you shouldn't expect them to be. I am waiting for your apology.

[pbmus]

54. Or what, are you threatening me...

[HuckleB]

55. Derp.

[pbmus]

56. You're baiting me to insult you ...

Again I don't let my monsters tell me how to see the world

[HuckleB]

59. I'm asking for you to apologize to DU.

Still, this backwards confession is almost as good. Oh, goodness.

[pbmus]

61. DU can alert and banish this discussion anytime

So far your comments are offensive and threatening

[HuckleB]

65. You keep making this claim.

Why?

[womanofthehills]

62. OMG! You the defender of all things toxic

including GMOS - demanding an apology

[HuckleB]

64. Nice confession.

[Humanist_Activist]

68. Evidence that GMOs are toxic? There are several methods of genetically modifying...

organisms, from old fashioned selective breeding, to accelerated mutation(blasting them with radiation or exposure to chemicals), which was quite popular after WWII, to today's modern methods of genetic manipulation and transposition.

Can you identify which ones are toxic? What those toxins are? What are their health effects? Other concerns?

[William Seger]

60. Nice try, HuckleB

... but conspiracy theorists simply don't understand how rational people think.

[pbmus]

63. Poison alert..

[William Seger]

67. Critical thinking is poison to conspiracy theorists?

You're more than welcome to attack Monsanto with actual facts.

[HuckleB]

69. Indeed.

Still, one has to wonder how creative speculation items like this are allowed full time on prominent forums like LBN.

[SunSeeker]

77. Thanks for the links.

It's weird that the virus settles in the fetus' brain to replicate, as noted in that Huffpost link. That would explain the damage to the brain and stunted brain/skull growth.

[IsItJustMe]

78. How much does Monsanto pay?

Sure sounds like you work for them. LOL

[Humanist_Activist]

80. What does Monsanto have to do with any of this? No, seriously...

I want to know.

Oh, right, nothing.

In fact, you have posted the lowest of low hanging fruit. Not only is your post bereft of original thought, it demonstrates that not only are you uninformed, but purposefully misinformed about this subject, and proudly so, apparently. I'm so sorry that knowledge is so anathema to your worldview that you feel the need to actually spout such ignorance as you have in your post. You will, unfortunately, be completely oblivious about what is actually wrong with your post, on so many different levels, wrapped, as you are, in a haze of conspiracy theory dribble and confirmation bias.

Rather than welcoming challenges to your preconceived notions, or presenting evidence to support them, or thinking critically about subjects such as this, you instead mock that which you do not understand, shielded as you are by your incurious nature and lack of knowledge. Rather than attempting to understand the subjects you feel are threats with an open mind, you instead lock it up tight, so much so that you can't even understand how people can reasonably disagree with you. No, the conspiracy is too vast, in your head, we must be paid shills, its the only thing that makes sense, for if you thought anything else, your safe cocoon may come crashing down.

[HuckleB]

7. This BS conspiracy theory was debunked days ago.

Why is it in LBN? Sheesh.

[womanofthehills]

32. It was mainly debunked by you

From your past posts, you seem to seem to believe pesticides and toxic chemicals are the same as candy.

My whole neighborhood was poisoned by pesticides in the late 90's and I can attest to the horrors of being exposed to toxic chemicals.

I worked at a children's hospital in NM and we had babies born with partial brains to Mexican mothers who worked in the Agricultural fields.

There are lots of studies linking microcephaly to pesticides.

[HuckleB]

36. I am not that smart.

The scientific community debunked this. I merely pointed that out. Why do you think it's ok to promote baseless fictions? Ethics matter. Reality matters. That's the only way we can help the planet and each other. Conspiracy nonsense helps no one but those few who gain from the con.

[womanofthehills]

52. from the scientific community

What Would It Take to Prove the Zika–Microcephaly Link

Public health officials are not yet ready to say the connection is causal

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-would-it-take-to-prove-the-zika-microcephaly-link1/

[HuckleB]

53. You have forgotten that this has already been addressed.

The fact that the virus as a cause hasn't been confirmed has nothing to do with the reality that this "proposed" cause has been shown to be baseless. It's time to stop playing games.

[libodem]

8. Exactly

I've been suspicious of the hype since it started. Not sure why but this gives me something to think about.

[HuckleB]

11. You've been conned.

[Humanist_Activist]

12. Exactly what? That people can make up shit and you will believe it...

being credulous isn't a virtue.

[Humanist_Activist]

10. Uhm...

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/02/18/467138913/did-a-pesticide-cause-microcephaly-in-brazil-unlikely-say-experts

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/health-experts-dismiss-claims-larvicide-linked-to-microcephaly/

Also the many references in this Wikipedia article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyriproxyfen

Seems like this claim has already been debunked days ago.

In addition, looking at the home page of the website you linked to, I don't think critical thinking is a strong suite of the site administrators.

[womanofthehills]

58. However WHO says "potential link" - who cares what NPR says

Should pregnant women be concerned about Zika?

"Health authorities are currently investigating a potential link between Zika virus in pregnant women and microcephaly in their babies. Until more is known, women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should take extra care to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

If you are pregnant and suspect that you may have Zika virus disease, consult your doctor for close monitoring during your pregnancy.

What is microcephaly?

Microcephaly is a rare condition where a baby has an abnormally small head. This is due to abnormal brain development of the baby in the womb or during infancy. Babies and children with microcephaly often have challenges with their brain development as they grow older.

Microcephaly can be caused by a variety of environmental and genetic factors such as Downs syndrome; exposure to drugs, alcohol or other toxins in the womb; and rubella infection during pregnancy."

http://www.who.int/features/qa/zika/en/

[Humanist_Activist]

66. Not sure what you link is supposed to show? There's a correlation between Zika and...

microcephaly, and the adage "better safe than sorry" applies there.

Outside of that, I'm not sure how your link is relevant to this thread, which is discussing an already debunked correlation/causal link between one particularly pesticide and micocephaly.

[Orrex]

14. I blame cellphones

[burrowowl]

19. K&R

[womanofthehills]

23. Developmental neurotoxicity of pesticides

Abstract
Pesticides used in agriculture are designed to protect crops against unwanted species, such as weeds, insects, and fungus. Many compounds target the nervous system of insect pests. Because of the similarity in brain biochemistry, such pesticides may also be neurotoxic to humans. Concerns have been raised that the developing brain may be particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of neurotoxic pesticides. Current requirements for safety testing do not include developmental neurotoxicity. We therefore undertook a systematic evaluation of published evidence on neurotoxicity of pesticides in current use, with specific emphasis on risks during early development. Epidemiologic studies show associations with neurodevelopmental deficits, but mainly deal with mixed exposures to pesticides. Laboratory experimental studies using model compounds suggest that many pesticides currently used in Europe – including organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, ethylenebisdithiocarbamates, and chlorophenoxy herbicides – can cause neurodevelopmental toxicity. Adverse effects on brain development can be severe and irreversible. Prevention should therefore be a public health priority. The occurrence of residues in food and other types of human exposures should be prevented with regard to the pesticide groups that are known to be neurotoxic. For other substances, given their widespread use and the unique vulnerability of the developing brain, the general lack of data on developmental neurotoxicity calls for investment in targeted research. While awaiting more definite evidence, existing uncertainties should be considered in light of the need for precautionary action to protect brain development.



ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-069X-7-50

[Humanist_Activist]

33. The pesticide in question isn't a neurotoxin, but an insect growth regulator.

So, while your post is interesting, its also irrelevant to the discussion.

[womanofthehills]

45. It's not only one pesticide that is used in Brazil

Why Brazil has a big appetite for risky pesticides

Brazil is the largest buyer of pesticides in the world - they used pesticides banned in the US

http://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/brazil-pesticides/

[Humanist_Activist]

49. And it might be worth investigating those pesticides in which evidence exists that they can...

effect human health and development. But this OP was talking about pyriproxyfen, for which there is little to no evidence that it causes micocephaly in humans.

Please bear in mind that just because something is a pesticide doesn't automatically make it dangerous for humans to consume.

[dreamnightwind]

24. Hmm, worth watching how this unfolds

[HuckleB]

27. It has already been debunked.

Save your popcorn for a better show.

[dreamnightwind]

29. Maybe

I read one of the linked articles upthread that supposedly debunks it, it read like an industry perspective with interests in debunking.

They said they'd found Zika in te blood samples of newborns with the deformites (or their Moms, I forget which) and seemed to think that was a big deal. They gave no numbers as to what percent of the deformed babies or Moms showed Zika., at least not that I saw.

They also said the deformities have been found in areas that didn't use the larvicide. Proves nothing. At what raate, and compared to areas that used larvacide?

[HuckleB]

31. Oh, FFS, I got some great coastal property for you, cheap.

It's in Malheur County, Oregon. PM for the details.

[womanofthehills]

39. It has not been debunked

All the statements from the WHO say "appear to" and "strongly suspected" - no actual research connecting it.

A causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth malformations and neurological syndromes has not yet been established, but is strongly suspected.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3426401/Australian-man-27-diagnosed-Zika-virus-bitten-monkey-mosquitos-Bali.html#ixzz40gXYzBIz
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[HuckleB]

40. This as a cause has been debunked.

You know that. To pretend otherwise is simply unethical. You actually chased down the posts with links about this. If you didn't read the links, you shouldn't have attacked as you did. If you had read the multiple links to science based information, then you know this claim of yours is nonsense. Which is it?

[womanofthehills]

73. Your thinking is so black and white

when anything about health is discussed. The WHO still says the link is not proven- suspected but not proven. So are you telling me the World Health Organization doesn't know what they are talking about.

[Eko]

26. More woo.

Its one thing to not trust corporations, I can understand that. But to trust something called "Physicians in Crop-Sprayed Towns" over the majority of science is very odd. The name itself tells you they have a bias.

[womanofthehills]

48. Brazil - largest consumer of banned pesticides in the world according to The Rio Times

Brazil Shown to Be Largest Global Consumer of Pesticides - See more at: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/brazil-is-largest-global-consumer-of-pesticides-shows-report/#sthash.iv8dNrOY.dpuf

"Petersen argues that what has been seen in reality is the opposite. “Not only are we using more [pesticides] but we are using more powerful, stronger pesticides. We have been forced to import pesticides which were not even allowed in Brazil to combat pests which attacked GM soybean and cotton plants,” he is quoted as saying.

The executive adds that 22 of the fifty main active ingredients used in pesticides in Brazil today have been banned in most other countries. “We are facing a situation of total lack of control [of pesticide use]. The state does not monitor as it should and the legislation for the use of pesticides is not being obeyed,” he concludes.
- See more at: http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-politics/brazil-is-largest-global-consumer-of-pesticides-shows-report/#sthash.iv8dNrOY.dpuf

[cstanleytech]

57. Since pyriproxyfen isnt banned though what does that have to do with the topic on hand exactly?

[womanofthehills]

70. All I am saying is that the woman of Brazil

are exposed to a huge variety of horrible pesticides and herbicides - dangerous pesticides and herbicides other countries do not use. So pyriproxyfen in the water might not be connected but what about all the other herbicides and pesticides that get into the water supply from runnoff and in the air from drift. Are the woman of Brazil agricultural guinea pigs?

[Demonaut]

71. it's Monsanto...but will they escape prosecution or even liability?

prosocution liability liability

[MisterP]

72. or, as it often plays out, an admixture of both

[womanofthehills]

74. I think you have a good point

All things are connected.

[7wo7rees]

75. I am going with Monsanto

[Old Crow]

76. Researched this a bit...

... as a result of the arguing in the thread. The best information on the topic I've found so far is contained in the NYT article linked below. Hope this helps.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/18/health/what-causes-zika-virus-theories-rumors.html

[jmowreader]

79. O christ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyriproxyfen

Noted skeptic David Gorski called the claim a conspiracy theory and pointed out that antivaccine proponents had also claimed that the Tdap vaccine was the cause of the microcephaly outbreak, due to its introduction in 2014, along with adding, "One can’t help but wonder what else the Brazilian Ministry of Health did in 2014 that cranks can blame microcephaly on." Gorski also pointed out the extensive physiochemical understanding of pyriproxyfen coded in the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality, which concluded in a past evaluation that the insecticide is not genotoxic, and that the doctor organization making the claim has been advocating against all pesticides since 2010, complicating their reliability.

Monsanto doesn't even make this product. Sumitomo Chemical does.

[BooScout]

81. Locking...

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