European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 1, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday May 1, 1994 the. Stars and stripes Page 3report triggers dismay Hope by Cindy Killion Washington Bureau Washington a persian Gulf War veterans and family members responded with mixed feelings to a panel report on the persian of Elf syndrome released Friday. A a a a a a a. The panel made up of civilian medical experts said that without More research the most Likely cause of the mysterious ailment is a previously unknown parasitic infection compounded by the stress of War. Some of the syndromes symptoms Are headaches chronic fatigue skin infections and rashes joint inflammation and memory loss. \ v a a. A. A a a the panels findings generated both criticism and cautious Praise from some of those who attended the special conference at the National institutes of health in Bethesda my. A Quot. V a Tim Strilcy an ill Veteran from Clinton Iowa called the parasitic theory the a perfect government diag no a t. Quot they be come up with a a new Type of leishmaniasis a one they be never seen before one they can to test for yet they re saying that a what we have a he said. A this is the second time they be tried to push the parasite theory off on us this is just More of the same crap we be been going through for the last three leishmaniasis is a parasitic infection transmitted to humans through the bite of Sand flies. Nan Corple of Liverpool Ohio the wife of a former Marine suffering some of the symptoms said a they really need to get a from the idea of Post traumatic stress disorder. Joe a amp a husband took a pts test and passed. In fact that about the Only thing pc can laugh about now a that they hink he a sane.�?�. She said her local department of veterans affairs Branch has asked her husband to take a revised pts test. A what arc they going to do just keep changing the questions until they come up with one that the veterans can to pass a t Corple said the greatest Benefit she received Fronin the conference is a a huge list of contacts a people who arc dealing with this too its going to be yet Gina Brown of new Waterford Ohio who is married to a Veteran suffering some of the symptoms said she so cautiously optimistic after the conf race. In a too afraid to get very she said the Best Point she heard made in the report is the recommendation that a ban be placed on blood donations from Gulf War veterans until a test is Devil oped to screen for any resulting problems. A a in be been on the phone to the centers for disease control and the american red Cross on this very Issue and got nowhere a she said. A i think they re playing with the blood Supply the same Way Quot they played with it when aids first came 1 a a a a a a a a a r a a 7-w a a a a a but giving the a More Money for More tests and research is a major mistake Brown said. A Why give the a Money they re not going to do what the panel she said she and her husband had encountered one Roadblock after another since they first tried to get treatment through the a. A a they keep doing the same tests Over and Over again and say they find nothing wrong. My husband Dan said he s finished with the a system. He will not go Back there for More testing a. The panels objectivity impressed Michael Briceland a former army major and Gulf War Veteran who served with the 3rd Arrond div. F he disputed testimony by an army official that iraqis Borders were a a scaled against chemical or biological weapons a that s the term to used sealed a Briceland said. A How do you sea the Border of a country against biological but the a incl was Able to blow that off and not even consider the possibility a he said. Despite the criticism Corple believes Progress was made at the conference noting that congressional sup a port is growing for determining the Root of the veterans health problems a i done to expect miracles anytime soon. Ill just wait and see what the a and Dod docs now a she said. Strilcy Corple Brown and Briceland All plan to return to Washington for hearings on the Issue scheduled for Friday before the Senate veterans affairs committee. A a a a. A a a a a a a parasite from Page 1 Bridge mass. And the University of California at Berkeley. Members concurred that neither the defend department nor department of veterans affairs has gathered enough data to explain fully the health problems reported by thousands of veterans from the 1991 Gulf War. Veterans have said their symptoms in elude unrelenting headaches chronic fatigue skin infections and rashes joint inflammation depression Lack of emotion intolerance to common chemicals and memory loss. Some spouses and children of the veterans now also report similar symptoms a a we re scientists so we love data a said the panels chairman or. Gareth Green of the Harvard medical school a but the reality is that without solid research we have nothing to go on a Only 77. .777. A a a i came Here with the View that these vets Are malingering and looking for corp sensation a said one panellist or. Her Bert Schaumberg director of the Neur toxicology Center for the Albert Einstein school of Medicine in the Bronx . A but now i know this is a real disease a these people Are or. Lee Riley of Cornell University medical College in new York said another investigation is needed into leishmaniasis a parasitic infection trans More data needed panellists say the panel looking into health complaints by persian Gulf War veterans made the following recommendations and findings a its unlikely that exposure to depleted uranium anthrax vaccine or chemical agent resistant coatings or car paint is causing the symptoms. A a Survey of All a or at least a solid representation of a operation desert storm veterans and their families must be done to get Concrete information. A there is not enough evidence to link service in the Gulf Region to subsequent birth defects in veterans children. A 7 v a a ban on blood donations by veterans should again be considered until a team of experts determines if a suspected new parasitic infection is transmitted through the blood. A eligibility for veterans affairs Mech Cal care should not wait until the development of a precise disease definition. A a considerably More coordinated and extensive research should be done by the departments of veterans affairs defense and health and human services on stress chemical and biological agent exposure and parasitic infections. A along with the research Standard treatment needs to be developed among the defense department a and civilian medical communities. Quot right now we re not endorsing any particular treatment because we feel that this is an overlapping illness with Many different symptoms that have to be sorted out first a the panel reported. Cindy Killion fitted to humans through the bite of Sand flies a a 7. A a 7 Quot �.�. A Quot he said he believes and the panel concurred that a new form of the infection has appeared. Instead of lodging in the blood the new variety lodges in the Bone marrow. Quot the medical tests run for the traditional leishmaniasis infection a and there a Only 31 confirmed cases among Gulf veterans a will not detect this new Strain a Riley said. A and right now there is no conclusive test for the new Type but there is a drug that can treat it a he said. He did not identify the drug by name but said it was an Antibiotic that should be administered at High dosage Over a Long period. Green also said the Post traumatic stress disorder striking Gulf Quot War vets is a a Type we Haven to seen people suffering from the disorder re cup Ericlee a traumatic event in which they were involved such As rape assault or military combat. Quot the persian Gulf War was an experience of unprecedented stress for our Mil itary and their families a he said. A the known threat of chemical or biological warfare had a tremendous psychological Impact on our military personnel. We must learn More about How this High stress level affects the immune cardiac Respirator and gastrointestinal functions of the body. A a it a just not something we know a lot about at this Point. Much More research needs to be the panel had requested a defense science Board report that is being written about the use or non use of chemical or biological weapons in the Gulf Region. Although the science boards final report was not to be completed in time for the conference a panel member or. Eula Bingham said she was promised a draft version that did not come. �?o1 was very disappointed a said Bingham environmental health professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. A we asked about it but no answer was Given on Why it Wasny to provided to us. Yet at the same time we have re ports from veterans who say they experienced chemical and biological attacks so its still very controversial. Defense officials said the science boards report should be released in june. The panel did no to reject outright the idea that the ill veterans have become by per sensitive to con Mon Industrial Chomi cals such As pesticides gasoline kerosene and diesel fumes. Vets from Page 1 that death or injury would mar two Days of ceremonies that will attract tens of thousands of a Day veterans and 15 Heads of state or government. But refusing the veterans a last moment of glory would provoke a juror similar to the governments Clumsy bid to requisition hotel rooms booked by British vets and give them to foreign vips after Public outrage embarrassed French officials guaranteed the veterans their rooms. The Parachute exploit is attracting intense Media interest in France where the a Day celebrations Are the event of the year. . Maj. Mike Humm of the Pentagon a world War ii commemorative office in Washington said that getting a French Green Light is up to the veterans. Official . Participation is limited to organizational and technical support. Under the current plans of which Humm said the Pentagon approves the veterans would jump a Short time after the younger soldiers Richard Mandich president of the return to Normandy association and a Corporal during the War expressed Confidence in a Telephone interview from san Diego that any hitches will be ironed out. Mandich said that the old paratroops plan to jump a half hour after the younger men. Remains at Alsbach Germany a amps one Pesky rat apparently picked the. Right Quot time to move into a children a playground at a government leased housing Complex near Darmstadt a when the military Community a sole rat handler was on vacation. Children discovered the rates Hole about a month ago and the foot Long Critter has been seen in the area parents said. Resident Beate Modica called Darmstadt a directorate of engineering and housing in Early april. A the lady that i talked to said a i he Man who handles rats is on vacation and i done to think he could do anything anyway because the rates Home is on the a she then said that we should try and do something about it ourselves like putting out traps a Modica said. The Community has Only one entomologist who deals with insects us Well As rodents. Late Friday Deh entomologist Tomas Vollmar was sent to the 46-unit housing area. Vollmar said he sealed the rat Hole in tile play area with Sand and will pit Poison there monday if it is uncovered. He also said that tax rat has been spotted in the basement and said a i can to use Poison or snap traps in the basement because of the children who play 7
