Monsanto GE Cotton Can Make Gonorrhea
Untreatable
According to UK Gov. Sources
[More
on Green Revolution]
Press Release Accion
Ecologica, Ecuador,
Institute of Science in Society, UK, and Grupo de Reflexion Rural,
Argentina 8oct00
The information is in the archives of the UK
Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) which vats
applications for commercial approval of novel foods and animal feed. The
strongly worded advice against the approval of Monsanto's transgenic
cotton seed, was given in February, 1999 (but was only published
earlier this year by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and
Food). At around the same time, the European Union rejected Monsanto's
application for the sale of the transgenic cottons in Europe.
The aad gene, which confers resistance to the antibiotics
streptomycin and spectinomycin, is present in both Bollgard
(insect-protected) and Roundup Ready (herbicide tolerant) transgenic
cottons.
The bacterium responsible for gonorrhoea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae,
could acquire the aad gene from transgenic plant materials during
infection of the mouth and small and large intestine as well as
the respiratory tract. N. gonorrhoeae could also acquire the gene
indirectly from other bacteria in the internal and external environments of animals and human
beings, which can take up the gene from transgenic plant
materials. Those other bacteria can serve as a reservoir for antibiotic
resistance genes.
The principle use of streptomycin is as a second-line drug for
tuberculosis. But it is in the treatment of gonorrhoea that
spectinomycin is most important. It is the drug of choice for treating
strains of N. gonorrhoeae already resistant to penicillin and third generation
cephalosporins, especially during pregnancy.
About 60% of the cotton harvest consist of cotton seed. Cotton
seed oil is extracted for human consumption, while the residue, cotton
seed cake is used in animal feed. Although the Government advice was
aimed at cotton seed, there are other hazards arising from the use of
transgenic cotton itself, which may be why it was rejected by the EU.
"Cotton is used in women's sanitary napkins and tampons, in
babies' nappies, in bandages and other wound dressings." Dr.
Elizabeth Bravo, a biologist from Accion Ecologica, Ecuador, reminds us,
"The health impacts are enormous."
Both transgenic cottons are being grown in millions of hectares in
the United States and China, and exported to other countries. They are
also planted to a smaller extent in Argentina. And Monsanto is trying to
introduce them into Bolivia and other Latin American countries as well
as India and Thailand. Illegal plantings of at least 500 hectares have
already been discovered in Indonesia.
"Why is this important scientific advice from UK Government
scientists kept in the archives for more than a year before it was
published?" asked Dr. Mae-Wan Ho, geneticist and biophysicist from
the Institute of Science in Society (UK). "It could have, and
should have, prevented millions of hectares of transgenic cottons from
being planted."
Dr. Bravo and Ho call for all transgenic cotton crops should be
destroyed, and no more should be planted. Meanwhile, people should avoid
using transgenic cotton products, especially in tampons, babies' nappies
and wound dressings. And transgenic cotton seeds should certainly not be
used in food or feed.
Contacts:
Dr. Elizabeth Bravo and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho
Amerian Hotel, Buenos Aires
tel: 0351-155-633635
e-mail: monaco@onenet.com .
ar; Dr. Aldolfo Boy,
grupodereflexionrural@hotmail.com
Mark Ritchie, President
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
2105 First Ave. South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404 USA
612-870-3400 (phone) 612-870-4846 (fax)
mritchie@iatp.org
http://www.iatp.org
http://www.wtowatch.org
http://www.sustain.org/biotech
http://www.gefoodalert.org
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