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Old March 7th, 2009 #1
Jessica
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Join Date: Jun 2007
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Default Chron's and Ulcerative Colitis

Quote:
The weak-kneed American economy is teetering; we’re all bracing for impact, hoping that when the behemoth collapses, we’ll be spared any real injury. As the wall crumbles beneath Humpty Dumpty, the dereliction of so-called government oversight agencies is being exposed. What’s worse, the same government incompetence that brought us to the brink of total economic collapse now threatens to allow an epidemic

of Johne’s Disease (pronounced yo knees)to destroy what is left of America’s family farms and infect millions of Americans with the bacteria that causes Crohn’s Disease, the human version of Johne’s Disease.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the agency charged with oversight of federal agricultural policy. For decades, the Secretary of Agriculture has been a corporate agriculture hack, concerned with the commodities market and protecting big agri-business, not family farms. While these presidential appointees conspired with industry insiders to promote corporate agriculture, the rate of infection of Johne’s Disease rose at what should have been an alarming rate, but no one in charge seemed to notice.

In 2004 the USDA estimated the infection rate to be at 20%. Today, 68% of the nation’s milk is infected with Johne’s, a three-fold increase in only four years, but the USDA doesn’t feel the need to mandate an eradication program. Why? Because the majority of infections are on factory farms. Nearly every confined dairy animal is infected; it would be expensive for confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to replace every infected animal. But that’s okay, because they don’t have to. The USDA is fine with this epidemic, and refuses any serious at dialogue about the subject.

The Risk to Humans

Crohn’s Disease, virtually unheard of in 1940, was on the rise by 1950, about the same time as the concept of factory farming showed up on the scene. Today, a generation later, up to two million Americans and even more Canadians are infected. Most cases of Crohn’s Disease are diagnosed in children, who will suffer a life of physical misery because of the debilitating symptoms for which there are treatments, but no cures.

Got milk? If so, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve got Crohn’s Disease. Don’t make the mistake of believing that organic milk is safer when it comes to the Johne’s bacteria. It’s not. The disease is rampant on organic factory farms. And yes, thanks to the USDA, CAFOs are allowed to call themselves organic, even though they aren’t organic by any stretch of the imagination.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Johne’s Disease in dairy cows are identical to the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease in humans:

* Persistent diarrhea
* Abdominal cramps
and pain
* Fever
* Fatigue
* Rectal bleeding
* loss of appetite
* joints, eye, skin, and liver pain
* obstruction of the intestine
* development of fissures (small cuts or tears in the anal canal)
* abscesses

There is no cure for Johne’s or Crohn’s. Fortunately for people, there are treatments. Cows aren’t so fortunate. Johne’s is always fatal, with death coming in slow, painful waves.

What Causes Johne’s Disease?

In a word, filth. Filthy, inhumane conditions on giant factory farms cause infections. Animals are allowed to lounge in a so-called humane free-stall where they lay in their own feces as well of that of the entire herd, which numbers in the thousands. Animals who are raised on pasture and are kept clean don’t get infected. Of course, to properly graze dairy cows, you have to properly manage your resources. The fact is grazing is more suited to family farms, not CAFOs. But not to worry, the USDA and the FDA have put their best minds on it, and boy, did they come up with an idea.

They’ll irradiate the milk! Any bacteria living on the feces in the milk will be neutralized. Problem solved. Except…irradiated poop is still poop. If someone offered you a spoon full of manure and told you it was okay to eat because it had been irradiated, would you eat it?

This “solution” illustrates the staggering incompetence at the highest levels of the USDA and the overwhelming commitment of big government to corporate-driven agriculture policy.
http://rfdamerica.com/?p=396
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Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. Jer 6 16

 
Old March 23rd, 2009 #2
Alex Linder
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Interesting. British scientists were claiming they knew what caused Crohn's last year, and were beginning tests last spring. Haven't seen anything further on it.
 
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