Minnesota and the CDC Confer on Somali Autism Situation: CDC’s Office of the Director: Autism May Result from “Chemical Exposures”

Managing Editor's Note: Welcome Huffington Post readers.  David referenced the post below on HuffPo HERE.

By David Kirby

On Saturday, November 15, I attended a daylong forum in Minneapolis on autism in the Somali immigrant community there, where the rate of autism among Somali children in the public schools had been reported at 1 in 28 kids.

At the forum, Dr. Judy Punyko, an epidemiologist for the State Department of Health, was expected to present at least preliminary findings on the prevalence of autism among Somali schoolchildren in Minnesota. The 80 or so Somali parents who attended were disappointed, by all accounts, that Dr. Punyko had no way to tell them if autism among their children was, as they strongly suspect, more common than among non-Somalis the same age.

Dr. Punyko said she had conferred with officials at the CDC on how to best measure the rate of autism in this particular population, but that she was still waiting for data requested from Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), even though she had put together a panel of experts to examine the issue back in August. She said that MPS would get her the data sometime in December, and that a report on the prevalence issue should be ready in March, 2009.

A few days after the forum, I discovered two things.

1) Back in July, Minneapolis Public School officials had furnished data on autism in Somali and non-Somali speaking students for the 2007-2008 school year to journalists, parents, and the Minnesota Department of Health (HERE). 

2) Officials at the CDC were scheduled to listen to Dr. Punyko present “findings” on a possible “Somali autism cluster” at the CDC in Atlanta on Tuesday, November 18. It seemed odd to me that Punyko would be discussing her findings at the CDC, but did not mention that fact three days earlier at the Somali autism forum in Minneapolis. It also seemed odd that she would be presenting “findings” in Atlanta, when she told us that MPS would not be furnishing any data to her team until December.

And so, I wrote to the Minnesota Department of Health and to the CDC to see if I could clarify any of this.

Initially, I got this reply from Doug Shultz, of the MDH Communications office:

“Dr. Punyko was invited by CDC to participate in a grantee meeting of other states that receive CDC grants to implement autism surveillance systems (although MN is not a grantee).  This was an opportunity for Judy to learn more about what other states are doing to address how best to gather data about autism. She will not be presenting any data from Minneapolis. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.”

This was not consistent with information I was getting from sources within HHS, so I persisted, and wrote back for further clarification.

I am very happy to report that both agencies -- MDH and CDC -- responded with notable courtesy, respect, promptness and, I feel, thoroughness. And for that I am very grateful to them.

Because they obviously took the time and trouble to answer my questions thoughtfully, and in detail, I have decided to publish the exchanges, verbatim, below, with just a few key observations. (Thank you for your patience as you wade through it – I think that it provides everyone with invaluable insight into the thinking and working of government epidemiologists):

A) The state and federal governments clearly take this situation, and the concerns of the Somali parents, seriously. They are not trying to sweep this under the rug or make it just go away. They know they have a situation on their hands – one that could potentially be hugely significant – but they are proceeding with caution.

B) Even so, public health officials are not at all convinced that they’re dealing with a Somali autism “cluster” in Minnesota.

C) It is difficult to assess autism prevalence in such a “fluid” immigrant community as Somalis, according to state and federal officials.

D) It is also difficult to know exactly how many Somali students in MPS actually have an autism diagnosis, as school services are based on educational evaluations, and not medical analyses.

F) It’s possible that the number of Somali students with autsm is artificially high. For example, there are no Somali students in Rochester, MN – did their families migrate to Minneapolis-St. Paul for better services after receiving a diagnosis?

G) It’s equally possible that the number of Somali students with autism is artificially low. For example, some Somali families listed English as the primary language spoken in their homes, meaning their children with autism would not be counted as Somali. There is also evidence to suggest that Somali parents of children with milder cases of autism (where the child is speaking) will reject an ASD classification or services for their child.

H) Even if autism rates are the same as non-Somalis, they are exponentially higher than autism rates among children in Africa (See Mark Blaxill's piece HERE.)

I) Finally, the CDC response includes one of the most extraordinary statements on autism that I have ever seen from a federal agency, and it would appear to shut the door on the old 20th Century viewpoint that autism is “strictly genetic,” and that increased numbers could therefore only be due to better diagnostics and greater awareness. To wit:

“There are likely multiple causes of the autism spectrum of disorders. Most scientists agree that today’s research will show that a person’s genetic profile may make them more or less susceptible to ASDs as a result of any number of factors such as infections, the physical environment, chemical exposures, or psychosocial components.”

THE RESPONSE FROM MDH

Here are my questions to MDH Officials, and the answers that were provided by Buddy Ferguson, Risk Communication Specialist, who wrote:

"The questions that you e-mailed on Wednesday to Doug Schultz raise a number of important issues, so we wanted to respond to them individually, and also offer some broader observations. I have been asked to respond on behalf of Doug and the MDH Community and Family Health Division."

1) Why did Dr. Punyko say at the autism forum on Saturday that she had not received data about Somalis with autism in the Minneapolis schools, when this apparently was not the case?

2) What other data is Dr. Punyko waiting upon from local public education officials (figures she said she would not have until sometime in December?)

Items #1 and #2: In terms of Dr. Punkyo’s presentation at the forum on Saturday, she did not mean to imply that she had received no information from the schools, but simply that her information is incomplete. When she presented at the forum, she was still awaiting information about the place of residence of the students who are receiving special services from the school system, and the classification of students who receive those services. For reasons I will describe below, this information is important if we are to develop a clear picture of the issues we are facing with regard to the Somali community and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

3) What possible explanation is there for the high rates of autism among Somalis in M/SP, but zero cases reported in Rochester schools?

Regarding the difference in reported autism cases in Rochester and Minneapolis/St. Paul, right now we do not have the kind of statewide data that would allow us to make that comparison. We do not have a statewide autism surveillance system in Minnesota, and setting up such a system is a complex undertaking. Simply relying on data regarding which and how many students are receiving special services is not a substitute for a good surveillance system * again, see below for a fuller explanation.

4) Why didn’t Dr. Punyko mention at the forum that fact that she was travelling to Atlanta to take part in a grantee meeting for autism surveillance in a number of states? (This would have been pertinent and welcomed news - it seems odd she would not have told us about it).

If Dr. Punkyo neglected to mention her pending trip to CDC, it was because her participation in the national meeting was simply part of the ongoing, informal conversation she has been having with CDC regarding the issue of autism in the Somali community.

This was a meeting held primarily for the 14 states that have received CDC grants to develop autism surveillance systems. Those states do not include Minnesota. Judy was simply extended an informal invitation to attend for one day of a three day meeting, so she could benefit from the discussion, get advice from the other states, and briefly share what she knew about the situation in our state. She was not providing them with any information not already available to forum participants (a copy of her PowerPoint is attached), so there was little reason to share her travel plans.

5) I could find nothing on the CDC website or elsewhere about the November 18 meeting in Atlanta. What information can you provide to me regarding the autism grantee meeting at the CDC on November 18, 2008. Specifically, can you provide me with any of the following?:

A) Invitation to attend the meeting that was received by Dr. Punyko.
B) An agenda for the meeting.
C) A list of attendees and states represented.
D) Minutes from the meeting.
E) Copies of Dr. Punyko’s notes from the meeting.

Item #5: In additional to the PowerPoint, we are also sending you a copy of the e-mail messages sent and received regarding Dr. Punkyo’s participation in the CDC conference. Again, this was very informal - the invitation was handled via e-mail. (HERE) - I am also attaching a copy of the conference agenda and Dr. Punkyo’s notes, in a single PowerPoint file HERE. We do not have meeting minutes or participant list. You will need to request them from CDC, although my understanding is that CDC may not have minutes available for this type of event.

(NOTE: The meeting agenda is HERE Dr. Punyko was scheduled to speak at 1:10 PM on “ASD among Somalis in Minnesota.”

6) It seems logical that Dr. Punyko would have shared the Somali autism data (attached) with authorities at the CDC at some point by now. Did she discuss this information with anyone at CDC prior to the meeting on November 18, and/or did she discuss autism numbers among Somalis in Minnesota with CDC officials at any point during her trip to Atlanta this week -- either during the official proceedings, or at some other time during her visit?

As previously noted, Dr. Punkyo has been sharing information about autism and the Somali community with CDC, on an informal basis, for several months now. Her PowerPoint should give you a sense of what she discussed at the conference session on Tuesday. However, she didn’t necessarily share information about the special education classification of Somali students in precisely the same format that you provided it to us.

The critical thing to understand is that this information doesn’t necessarily provide a clear picture of autism in the Somali community - again, for reasons discussed below.

7) If it is determined that there is a Somali autism “cluster” in Minnesota, what happens next? Is the CDC required by law to investigate?

There is no specific legal “trigger” that would require a particular action in response to an identified problem regarding autism in the Somali community. We will continue to investigate this issue with the resources we have available - which are, unfortunately, limited. We will continue to work closely with CDC, seeking their assistance when appropriate, as we proceed with our investigation.

Identifying the Problem.

In addition to answering your specific questions, we also want to offer a couple of larger observations about the task that now faces us. What we have right now is simply classification data used by the public schools in assigning children to receive special education services. This is not the same as diagnostic data: The children who have been classified in that way may or may not have received a medical diagnosis identifying them as autistic.

In fact, some of the children so identified in the summary you provided may not be autistic, although they may be facing other kinds of challenges. There may also be autistic children who do not show up in that data because they do not receive special education services through the schools, but are receiving services from some other source. 

Even if we did have a complete and comprehensive picture regarding the number of autism cases in the Somali community, it would still be difficult to calculate an “autism prevalence rate” for this population. The Somali population in Minnesota is large and highly fluid. Large numbers of Somalis are migrating to the state all the time. In fact, we have the highest “secondary immigration rate” in the country - that is, we are the top destination for Somalis who first settled somewhere else when they initially entered the country. Estimates from the state demographer’s office have placed Minnesota’s Somali population at anywhere from 15 to 40 thousand.

In short, in terms of calculating the actual prevalence of autism in Somali children, we have neither a reliable numerator nor a reliable denominator. While we appreciate your diligence in attempting to calculate observed versus expected autism rates based on the school classification data, those calculations probably obscure more than they reveal.

The Larger Picture

It should be emphasized that we are not presuming to second-guess parents and others in the Somali community regarding the seriousness of this problem. The situation they are dealing with is very real. We know that this is frustrating. We wish that we could provide quick and easy answers - but we lack basic knowledge about autism, about how common it really is, and about what causes it. We recognize how frustrating this is for a concerned parent - it’s frustrating for us as well. However, before we can answer the big questions, it’s important to get the basics right. That’s what we’re working to do right now.

THE RESPONSE FROM CDC

Here are my questions to CDC officials, and the answers that were provided by CDC Director’s Office of Enterprise Communication (OEC):

1) I have been sent a copy of autism prevalence data generated by the Minnesota Department of Education (LINK #1). This information, by several accounts, was given to Dr. Punyko in July. Has she ever shared this information with anyone at CDC in the past?

Keep in mind that the Minnesota Department of Education data reflect an educational system classification that provides information on the number of students enrolled in special education programs under an autism eligibility and are not complete prevalence data.  Certainly, it is concerning for all families if their child is identified with autism, either for special education purposes or through a formal diagnosis, and it is important to determine if one group is disproportionately affected.  In order to understand if children from Somali families in Minneapolis are disproportionately affected by autism, it would be necessary to evaluate the available data and to determine how complete these data are and what would be needed to have the most complete and accurate accounting of children with autism in the Somali and other comparison groups of children.  It is our understanding that the MN Department of Health is first working to verify the education data, including trying to evaluate birth place and potential moving districts.  This is an important first step.

With respect to your question, to date, CDC scientists have only provided informal support to the Minnesota Department of Health and Dr. Punyko.  This has involved answering questions related to measuring autism prevalence and helping connect Dr. Punyko with experts in other states.  These informal conversations began earlier this year when Dr. Punyko contacted CDC to inquire about methods that could be used to set up a state-wide autism surveillance or tracking system in MN based on wanting to get a better understanding of who is affected with autism in the state more generally. 

To date, Dr. Punyko has shared some of the basic educational system reporting information from the Minnesota Department of Education with Dr. Catherine Rice, (Behavioral Scientist/Epidemiologist) and other scientists working on developmental disabilities prevalence projects in CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.  More generally, over the past year, Dr. Rice has provided information on CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/addm.htm), which is the CDC autism surveillance and tracking program.  Dr. Punyko has shared that MN is working on preliminary data analysis and sent a letter to Dr. Coleen Boyle last week requesting CDC's input on the report when it was prepared and providing input on the next steps, including evaluating whether more formal assistance from CDC would be helpful. 

Following a July media report about the number of Somali children enrolled in autism special education programs in the Minneapolis public school system, Dr. Rice and other CDC scientists have provided information about research methodology challenges involved in identifying and measuring autism prevalence, and have provided suggestions on people to talk with in other states about conducting autism prevalence studies.  In line with this, Dr. Rice invited Dr. Punkyo to a November meeting of CDC grantees involved in autism surveillance.  This annual meeting brings together researchers/principal investigators from various past and present CDC-funded sites to share information and coordinate efforts related to autism measurement and surveillance.

Dr. Rice has also provided information on how states can seek formal assistance from CDC in investigating public health issues.

3) It seems logical that Dr. Punyko would have shared the Somali autism data with authorities at the CDC. Did she discuss autism numbers among Somalis in Minnesota with meeting participants and/or CDC officials at any point during her trip to Atlanta this week -- either during the official proceedings, or at some other time during her visit?   

State and local educational classification data are not routinely shared with people at CDC.  There are also no legal or formal requirements that education system classification data, even if related to autism or the provision of educational services to who have been diagnosed or placed in autism-related programs, be provided to CDC.  To the extent there are legal or formal reporting requirements for education data, it is to the Federal Department of Education.  For states, these educational data are available on the public website (www.ideadata.org).  CDC experts may become aware of information or reports through informal contacts, formal requests or agreements for technical or scientific assistance or presentations at meetings or conferences.

Dr. Punyko was invited to attend the ADDM meeting this week in Atlanta as a way to help connect her with other state-based investigators who have been working to determine the prevalence of autism or on projects designed to help better define the characteristics of affected children.  She did provide a brief overview of the initial education data reported in the media indicating a concern about autism in Somali children and the general outline of the work that has been done to follow-up on these concerns in MN to date.  She did not present any additional data. Dr. Punyko did share that there are particular challenges with trying to determine accurately what the prevalence of ASD is in young Somali children (as well as for any group of children born to a potentially mobile population) in Minnesota.

4) Does CDC have any comment at all on the MPS provided data?

Dr. Catherine Rice and Dr. Marshayln Yeargin-Allsopp both agree the educational tracking system information that has been shared with them merits further assessment.  It is important, for instance, to determine if all children in need of specialized educational services are being identified and that identified children are getting the services they need. It is our understanding the MN Department of Health is working within the state to follow-up on these concerns.

5)  If it is determined that there is a Somali autism “cluster” in Minnesota, what happens next? Is the CDC required by law to investigate (perhaps because of EPA Superfund requirements)?   

Much work will need to be done to determine actual autism prevalence among children in Minnesota, children in the Minneapolis and St. Paul school districts and among Somali populations in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Minnesota.  Without a statewide autism surveillance system, it will be very difficult to determine whether a group of children or a school district has an unusually high autism prevalence rate.  It is should be noted that setting up a statewide autism surveillance system is a complex undertaking.

With respect to formal CDC assistance, such involvement requires a state or local health department to send a formal written request.  As requested by Dr. Judy Punyko to date, CDC plans to provide feedback on the preliminary report by the MN Department of Health, when available, and to input on needed follow-up.

6) If it is determined that Somali children in Minnesota do in fact have higher rates of autism than non-Somali children in Minnesota, and that they also have higher rates than Somali children in Somalia, will CDC officially concur that autism, at least in these cases, must necessarily have an environmental component?

As noted in #5 above, determining actual autism prevalence rates, whether in a community, state or country, requires a valid autism surveillance system.  In this case, such systems do not exist in Minnesota or Somalia.

It is also important to note that even if one has valid autism prevalence estimates, those estimates do not provide much information or insight into the causes of autism.  For example, information about the number of children in a state who have autism does not tell you very much about the potential cause, or more likely, multiple causes —particularly since children move in and out of states as well as in and out of school districts.  A higher than expected rate in a school district may be caused, for instance, by the availability of a strong program for autistic children.  Also, other children in other groups, especially young children, may not yet be identified for special education services under autism so they are not counted accurately as a comparison group.

In an effort to better understand autism and autism prevalence, CDC has been working to better understand how the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) affect children in the United States trough the ADDM Network and Early ASD Surveillance Projects (www.cdc.gov/autism).  Our initial efforts have shown that, autism is being identified more often than in the past and there are an increasing number of efforts to identify affected children as early as possible so that interventions can begin.

In addition, CDC has worked with Autism Speaks to form the International Autism Epidemiology network (IAEN) (http://www.autismepidemiology.net).  In many other countries, including Somalia, awareness of autism is in the early stages.  We are not aware of any efforts to measure autism prevalence in Somalia and have not found any published baseline data on autism prevalence in Somali children from Somalia.  Without baseline data, it is not possible to make a comparison of autism prevalence between Somali children in the U.S. and Somali children in Somalia. 

Similarly, without an established autism tracking system in Minnesota, it is not possible to accurately compare rates of autism for Somali children in Minnesota versus non-Somali children in Minnesota.

Finally, while it is important to understand if autism is affecting any group of children disproportionately, it is also important to keep in mind that there are likely multiple causes of the autism spectrum of disorders.  Most scientists agree that today’s research will show that a person’s genetic profile may make them more or less susceptible to ASDs as a result of any number of factors such as infections, the physical environment, chemical exposures, or psychosocial components.  CDC researchers are currently working on one of the largest U.S. studies to date, called the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED).  The project is examining numerous risk factors for autism such as genetics, environmental exposures, pregnancy factors, and behavioral factors.  CDC is also supportive of the coordination of research efforts of the multiple government and non-government organizations involved in autism research organized through the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee - IACC (http://iacc.hhs.gov).

We hope this information is useful to you in your effort to report on this complex issue.

David Kirby is author of Evidence of Harm and a contributor to Age of Autism.

Comments

[hodan]

David did a good job and he always does his job above and beyond

God bless him.

people, let us start a movement agains these predators.

[Jill]

Thank you Mr. Kirby! Thank you for sticking with our story and being a powerful voice for us. Thank you Age of Autism for providing this forum.

If we are looking for someone to produce a documentary on the autism epidemic, as Amy in Idaho suggested, I would like to recommend Lowell Bergmann at PBS' Frontline. You can watch the movie "The Insider" about Big Tobacco to learn more about his high quality journalism, or watch any Frontline program on PBS. I contacted Mr Bergmann earlier this year about doing a program on the autism epidemic and got a nice note back from him. You can write to him too at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/contact/ If we all write to him, this could become a reality!

[lynn]

David,

THANKS! You are a man of integrity and a seeker of truth and I believe that for the first time in a long time we are going to have a president who shares your values. I think the CDC and other health organizations now know that business as usual will not be tolerated and they are scrambling because they are now going to be held accountable.

THANKS! To all that believed and supported President Obama despite the rhetoric against him. I don't know if he can save the U.S., but I sincerely believe that he will spend every moment of his presidency seeking transparency and we desperately need that.

THANKS! To all that are willing to get behind him now and commend him for his actions and push him to uncover all the rocks.

THANKS! To the parents who came before me and uncovered the first rocks and gave the gift of hope to inspire the belief.

THANKS! To those who are fighting the fight everyday in every way for our kids who deserve a chance at the best this life has to offer.

THANKS! To the siblings of our kids who although this has been so painful for them are now becoming truth seekers at an early age. We are creating a future army in them and hopefully the mistakes of the past will never be repeated.

Hold tight in your belief that our children will recover and stretch yourselves to believe in what your heart says is the way.
This past year has made up for all the joy that I have missed in the past 6 years. I can't describe how it feels to see a child who was so impaired zipline and describe how awesome the feeling was, kayak around a lagoon with some little girls he met and tell me how one of them has a little bit of a crush on him or ride in a "mud buggy" and get covered with mud from head to toe and laugh so hard he almost peed his pants. We still have some periods of ADD that is being triggered by something, but his Doctor of Chinese medicine assures me that in a few more years when his body is completely healed, "he will be fine". And I know in my heart that this is true.

I have much to be thankful for this year.

[Lawrence Landherr]

Great report! As a retired state bureaucrat with 30+ yrs. experience in the State of Mn system I can see the hand of the Public Inf. office written all over both the MDH response and the CDC response. When something controversial gets media attention and reporters start asking tough questions nothing leaves the "fort" unless it has been properly massaged first and reviewed and approved at least by the Commissioner's office level.
Wouldn't want to make a statement that some CEO in Big Pharma or some other powerful industry might dislike. After all they would call the Governor's office (or the President's office) and raise hell and threaten to cut off campaign contributions for the next election.
Never mind that there are thousands of innocent children being harmed (some permanently). After all they are just abstract numbers--right? My only wish is that each of these spineless number crunchers be blessed with a child who gets autism.

[Amy Trail]

As I wipe the tears from my eyes - I want to say THANK YOU, David. You have left no stone unturned and I am forever grateful for all your hard work and dedication to these children.

It is mind blowing that the everyone thinks we will continue drinking the "Kool-Aid" that they are serving up. . .as more and more children become affected by Autism. They would rather crunch numbers,study the numbers, then to admit they were wrong. When will the children be as important as the Drug companies? Is it when it his right in their own home?

God Bless America - Because we are in need of some devine intervention at this point!

David, your words are powerful to me and truth will set everyone free! And on this Thanksgiving Eve here in VA, we will add you to our Thankful list tomorrow over lunch while my 4 year old, who lost all skills at 18 months and was pulled into the lonely world of Autism - wonders the house, jumping, screeching, and flapping and my teenager still is grieving the loss of her brothers soul.

[Catherine Hollingsworth]

As one who has been injured by chemicals, I can tell you that there is a huge amount of cover up on chemical injuries of any kind in the US.

I have multiple chemical sensitivities or environmental illness and we now know that our numbers are around 6,000,000 to 10,000,000 in the US alone. That is an epidemic in any one's book. But do you hear the CDC admit that chemicals are harming people? The answer is no.

Many of us with MCS/EI are watching the struggles of those with autism because we feel it is related to our struggle. What we have seen over the 50 years that MCS/EI has been named is the pharmaceutical companies and petroleum companies do not want this talked about.....there is much too much at stake in their bank accounts.

In my state we can't even get a proclamation for educational recognition, the papers won't discuss this, and many doctors think it's junk science. With these numbers....hardly small enough to sweep under the rug.

I suggest that the Somali families did not have an abundance of chemicals in their home country, and we are steeping ourselves in them while treating them way too casually. Chemicals do injure brains. See "Endangered Brains" Dr. Kaye Kilburn (2004). They do serious and permanent damage to young and old alike, including the unborn. Some of the worst include everyday things: perfume, diesel, asphalt, roof tar, and dryer sheets. I'll bet that much of this list wasn't around these families in Somalia.

[Julie Swenson]

So, chemicals may be responsible, eh? But not, of course, the chemicals in vaccines...no- some other totally different checmials that these kids just happen to be getting in their systems. Let's spend time and money trying to find those 'culprit' chemicals.

Also, anything genetic can't really be the fault of Big Pharama.

It's like trying to tell a burn victim that they are investiagting the reasons behind their burns but'we haven't ruled out fire as a cause, since clearly there may be other factors...don't jump to any conclusions, now"..

I'm doing a face-palm right now. GAHHH.

Thank you Mr.Kirby, for another fabulous article...keep 'em coming!

[Teresa]

Stan asked-
"Any dietary changes?"

I think the answer is "yes"--I like to research this stuff in my spare time.

"Local Somalis say it is impossible to find camel meat or camel milk here in the U.S"

ethnomed.org/ethnomed/cultures/somali/som_food.html

Etiology of Autism and Camel Milk as Therapy
Authors:
Shabo, Y.; Yagil, R.Source:
International Journal of Human Development, Volume 4, Issue 2, p.67-70 (2005)
Layperson Summary:
Camel milk does not have casein and may be an effective treatment for autism. This article describes people with autism who were given camel milk instead of cow milk. One 4-year old girl drank camel milk for 40 days and her autism symptoms disappeared. A 15-year old boy recovered from autism after 30 days of drinking camel milk. Several 21-year old individuals with autism were given camel milk for two weeks and they became quieter and stopped hurting themselves. The authors conclude by suggesting that camel milk be drunk under a doctor'€™s care. http://www.new-agri.co.uk/05-1/focuson/focuson5.html The milk protein lactoferrin, which is present in large quantities in camel milk (ten times higher than in cow milk), does have some anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Fermented camel milk is high in lactic bacteria, which have been shown to be effective against pathogens including Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and Escherichia. And vitamin C content in camel milk is generally double that in cow's milk. In Russia, Kazakhstan and India there are many examples of camel milk - as much as a litre a day - being prescribed to hospital patients to aid recovery from tuberculosis, Crohn's disease and diabetes. 1: Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14(4):432-8. Links
Anti-schistosomal activity of colostral and mature camel milk on
Schistosoma mansoni infected mice.

* Maghraby AS,
* Mohamed MA,
* Abdel-Salam AM.

Therapeurical Chemistry Department, National Research Centre,
Dokki, Egypt.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the
anti-schistosomal activity of colostral and mature camel milk on
Schistosoma mansoni infected mice. Six weeks post infection, mean
percentage of protection was detected through the hepatic portal vein.
Glutathione-s-transferase (GST), alanine, aspartate transaminase (ALT
and AST) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were detected in sera of
treated mice before and after infection. Antischistosomal activity of
colostral and mature camel milk on Schistosoma mansoni infected mice
were 12.81% and 31.60% respectively. The results showed that GST
levels in sera of mice fed on colostral and mature camel milk were
increased with mean values of 0.070, 0.108, 0.128 and 0.120 in
colostral milk groups and 0. 072, 0.085, 0.166 and 0.20 in mature
camel milk groups compared with the mice fed on basal diet with means
values of 0.070, 0.085, 0.078 and 0.069 before infection and after
two, four and six weeks of infection, respectively. On the other hand,
there were slight differences on ALT and AST activities. Mice treated
with colostral and mature milk (200 microl/day) showed an
immunostimulatory effect by inducing IgG titers against soluble worm
antigen preparation (SWAP) compared with control. Nevertheless, the
difference was not considered significant (0.31 +/- 0.1) for colostrum
(0.34 +/- 0.1) and for mature milk, as compared to normal control (0.2
+/- 0.04). Two, four and six weeks post infection, IgG level showed no
significant change in sera from mice treated with colostral and mature
milk as compared to control. In conclusion, colostral and mature camel
milk showed an immuno-modualatory effect in normal healthy mice by
inducing IgG and GST levels before and after infection with
Schistosoma mansoni. Colostral and mature camel milk have a protective
response against schistosomiasis.

PMID: 16326652 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
____________________________________________________________

1: Vopr Pitan. 1986 Mar-Apr;(2):16-8. Links
[Effect of dietotherapy incorporating koumiss and shubat on
vitamin B12 absorption in the intestines and on its content in the
blood of chronic enterocolitis patients]
[Article in Russian]

* Zhangabylov A,
* Nikolaeva SV,
* Kalamkarova LI,
* Il'chenko LA,
* Muzapbarov B.

The intestinal absorption of vitamin B12 and its blood content
have been proved to lower in patients with chronic enterocolitis.
Dietetics including kumiss and shubat promotes normalization of
vitamin B12 absorption (p less than 0.05), its blood content growth (p
less than 0.05), the intestinal microflora becoming normal. More studies on it-

Agrawal RP, Budania S, Sharma P, Gupta R, Kochar DK, Panwar RB, Sahani MS.
Zero prevalence of diabetes in camel milk consuming Raica community of north-west Rajasthan, India.
Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2006 Nov 10; [Epub ahead of print]

Konuspayeva G, Faye B, Loiseau G, Levieux D.
Lactoferrin and immunoglobulin contents in camel's milk (Camelus bactrianus, Camelus dromedarius, and Hybrids) from Kazakhstan.
J Dairy Sci. 2007 Jan;90(1):38-46.
PMID: 17183073 [PubMed - in process]
PMID: 17098321 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Shabo Y, Barzel R, Margoulis M, Yagil R.
Camel milk for food allergies in children.
Isr Med Assoc J. 2005 Dec;7(12):796-8.
PMID: 16382703 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.kz/eng/cooking/drinks.html#SHUBAT%20(FERMENTED%20CAMEL'S%20MILK)
SHUBAT (FERMENTED CAMEL'S MILK)

The technology of making shubat is more simple than that of kumys. In
a leather bag (torsyk) or wooden tub ferment is put, then fresh
camel's milk is poured in; the bag is tied up or the lid is put on the
tub and the milk is left for 24 hours to get sour. Shubat is not
shaken up periodically like kumys, it is mixed thoroughly before
serving the fable.

Shubat is of a snow-white colour, thicker and fatter than kumys. The
content fat reaches 8%. It can be preserved some time not losing its
properties. Shubat is used to cure not only tuberculosis but also some
gastric and intestinal diseases.

1: Vopr Pitan. 1981 May-Jun;(3):10-4. Links
[Effectiveness of peptic ulcer diet therapy using rations
containing whole mare's and camel's milk]
[Article in Russian]

* Sharmanov TSh,
* Kadyrova RKh,
* Salkhanov BA.

Diets enriched with whole mare and camel's milk were used for the
management of peptic ulcer patients. A total of 164 patients were
examined. Of these, 59 received mare's milk, 40 camel and 65 cow's
milk. On the basis of studying the time course of the clinical
picture, secretory and motor functions of the stomach, as well as of
the endoscopic appearance of the gastric and duodenal mucosa it was
ascertained that apart from the improved clinical course of the
disease, secretory and motor functions of the stomach there was a
complete wound healing and remarkable decline of its size in 93, 90,
and 70% of patients given mare, camel and cow's milk, respectively.
Also, radiotelemetry was used to study the antacid properties of the
milk types in question. The first two milk types have demonstrated
more pronounced antacid properties

[jen]

oops. just checked the email and I think the article actually came out August 25 which is ages ago. Oh well, at least I let him know people are interested in hearing updates on the situation and some communication took place.

[Teresa]

David,

Your stamina on this issue is much appreciated!

The continual, pathetic, excuses from these folks are getting near to be -lies-.

The lack of concern coupled with bullshit excuses is a recipe we have seen way too much.

I wonder if they know that they have a large audience watching them dish this crap out?