Drug Warriors Push Eye-Eating Fungus

[Guest guest]

News > June 6, 2006

Drug Warriors Push Eye-Eating Fungus

Why are members of Congress advocating the use of a dangerous crop-

killer in Columbia?

By Bigwood

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2657/

An infection caused by Fusarium fungus destroys a human cornea.

On April 16, the New York Times ran a full-page ad from contact lens

producer Bausch and Lomb, announcing the recall of its " ReNu with

MoistureLoc " rewetting solution, and warning the 30 million American

wearers of soft contact lenses about Fusarium keratitis. This

infection, first detected in Asia, has rapidly spread across the

United States. It is caused by a mold-like fungus that can penetrate

the cornea of soft contact lens wearers, causing redness and pain

that can lead to blindness—requiring a corneal replacement.

That same week, the House of Representatives passed a provision to a

bill requiring that the very same fungus be sprayed in " a major drug-

producing country, " such as Colombia. The bill's sponsor was Rep.

Mark Souder (R-Ind.) and its most vocal supporter was his colleague

Dan Burton (R-Ind.), who has been promoting the fungus for almost a

decade as key to winning the drug war.

The Colombian government has come out against it. And those entities

of the U.S. government that have studied the use of Fusarium for

more than 30 years don't recommend it either: The Office of National

Drug Control Policy, also known as the Drug Czar's office, CIA, DEA,

the State Department and the USDA have all concluded that the fungus

is unsafe for humans and the environment.

" Fusarium species are capable of evolving rapidly. … Mutagenicity is

by far the most disturbing factor in attempting to use a Fusarium

species as a bioherbicide, " wrote Struhs, then secretary of

Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, in a 1999 letter

rejecting the use of the fungus against Florida's outdoor marijuana

crop. " It is difficult, if not impossible, to control the spread of

Fusarium species. "

Mutation of the fungus allows it to attack other " hosts. " The eye-

eating Fusarium seems to be a result of such a mutation. After all,

the soft-contact lenses that it grows behind are a recent

development—having only been commercially available since 1971.

The DEA stopped funding Fusarium research in the United States

during the early '90s after it learned that Fusarium infections can

be deadly in " immunocompromised " people—not only AIDS patients and

those with other illnesses, but also those who are severely

malnourished. The University of the Andes in Bogotá has recently

reported that 12 percent of Colombian children suffer from chronic

malnutrition. Spraying this fungus on a vulnerable population could

be perceived as using a biological weapon.

The CIA has been against the use of Fusarium to kill drug crops

since at least 2000. At that time, one official told the Times, " I

don't support using a product on a bunch of Colombian peasants that

you wouldn't use against a bunch of rednecks growing marijuana in

Kentucky. "

A top scientist from the USDA, which has studied the fungus the

longest, said that his agency " cannot support " its use. And the

State Department, whose Bureau of International Narcotics and Law

Enforcement carries out drug crop eradication all over the world,

does not support it, either.

In 2000, when Congress first passed " Plan Colombia, " the Colombian

aid package that ordered the use of the fungus in Colombia,

President Clinton waived the part of the bill that dealt with the

fungus because he thought its use would be perceived as biological

warfare. At the same time, the Andean Community of Nations, an

organization comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and

Venezuela, banned it within their territories.

So, who does support the spraying of the eye-eating fungus over

other countries? Only a few adamant drug war jihadists in the House,

led by Burton, who are frustrated by the lack of progress in the

drug war.

The fungus provision has already passed the House, but the Senate

version of the bill contains no similar language. Responsibility for

a final decision rests on the conference committee where the House

and Senate bills will be reconciled—scheduled to happen before this

summer.

[Guest guest]

WOW, great find KC, I think I have to say good night on that one,

wore out and I cant take this stuff in my head to bed with me or I

wont sleep. its all amazeing and overwelming,this one brought on the

tears and anger, night and

TC

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> News > June 6, 2006

> Drug Warriors Push Eye-Eating Fungus

> Why are members of Congress advocating the use of a dangerous crop-

> killer in Columbia?

> By Bigwood

>

> http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2657/

>

>

> An infection caused by Fusarium fungus destroys a human cornea.

> On April 16, the New York Times ran a full-page ad from contact

lens

> producer Bausch and Lomb, announcing the recall of its " ReNu with

> MoistureLoc " rewetting solution, and warning the 30 million

American

> wearers of soft contact lenses about Fusarium keratitis. This

> infection, first detected in Asia, has rapidly spread across the

> United States. It is caused by a mold-like fungus that can

penetrate

> the cornea of soft contact lens wearers, causing redness and pain

> that can lead to blindness—requiring a corneal replacement.

>

> That same week, the House of Representatives passed a provision to

a

> bill requiring that the very same fungus be sprayed in " a major

drug-

> producing country, " such as Colombia. The bill's sponsor was Rep.

> Mark Souder (R-Ind.) and its most vocal supporter was his colleague

> Dan Burton (R-Ind.), who has been promoting the fungus for almost a

> decade as key to winning the drug war.

>

> The Colombian government has come out against it. And those

entities

> of the U.S. government that have studied the use of Fusarium for

> more than 30 years don't recommend it either: The Office of

National

> Drug Control Policy, also known as the Drug Czar's office, CIA,

DEA,

> the State Department and the USDA have all concluded that the

fungus

> is unsafe for humans and the environment.

>

> " Fusarium species are capable of evolving rapidly. … Mutagenicity

is

> by far the most disturbing factor in attempting to use a Fusarium

> species as a bioherbicide, " wrote Struhs, then secretary of

> Florida's Department of Environmental Protection, in a 1999 letter

> rejecting the use of the fungus against Florida's outdoor marijuana

> crop. " It is difficult, if not impossible, to control the spread of

> Fusarium species. "

>

> Mutation of the fungus allows it to attack other " hosts. " The eye-

> eating Fusarium seems to be a result of such a mutation. After all,

> the soft-contact lenses that it grows behind are a recent

> development—having only been commercially available since 1971.

>

> The DEA stopped funding Fusarium research in the United States

> during the early '90s after it learned that Fusarium infections can

> be deadly in " immunocompromised " people—not only AIDS patients and

> those with other illnesses, but also those who are severely

> malnourished. The University of the Andes in Bogotá has recently

> reported that 12 percent of Colombian children suffer from chronic

> malnutrition. Spraying this fungus on a vulnerable population could

> be perceived as using a biological weapon.

>

> The CIA has been against the use of Fusarium to kill drug crops

> since at least 2000. At that time, one official told the Times, " I

> don't support using a product on a bunch of Colombian peasants that

> you wouldn't use against a bunch of rednecks growing marijuana in

> Kentucky. "

>

> A top scientist from the USDA, which has studied the fungus the

> longest, said that his agency " cannot support " its use. And the

> State Department, whose Bureau of International Narcotics and Law

> Enforcement carries out drug crop eradication all over the world,

> does not support it, either.

>

> In 2000, when Congress first passed " Plan Colombia, " the Colombian

> aid package that ordered the use of the fungus in Colombia,

> President Clinton waived the part of the bill that dealt with the

> fungus because he thought its use would be perceived as biological

> warfare. At the same time, the Andean Community of Nations, an

> organization comprising Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and

> Venezuela, banned it within their territories.

>

> So, who does support the spraying of the eye-eating fungus over

> other countries? Only a few adamant drug war jihadists in the

House,

> led by Burton, who are frustrated by the lack of progress in the

> drug war.

>

> The fungus provision has already passed the House, but the Senate

> version of the bill contains no similar language. Responsibility

for

> a final decision rests on the conference committee where the House

> and Senate bills will be reconciled—scheduled to happen before this

> summer.

>