[THS] Florida Dengue Fever Outbreak Leads Back to CIA & Army Experiments

[The Harder Stuff in news and commentary]

http://www.voltairenet.org/article166327.html

Dengue Fever Outbreak Leads Back to CIA & Army Experiments
by Hank P. Albarelli Jr.*, Zoe Martell*

The recent outbreak of dengue fever is being portrayed by the media as a fortuitous
reemergence of the disease in Florida and elsewhere in the United States after 75
years. Yet Hank Albarelli’s probe reveals that the US Army and CIA have been
experimenting with dengue fever for years with the aim of weaponizing insects to be
released against unwitting populations, as was previously done in Florida and
elsewhere. Moreoever, Albarelli draws attention to the eerie similarity between
dengue fever symptoms and those linked to the toxic emanations in the Gulf of
Mexico and warns of the looming disaster that could unfold from the overlap.



17 July 2010

From
Miami (United States)

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Florida Keys Mosquito Control aerial spraying

With little fanfare on July 13, Florida officials released the findings of a Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) study conducted recently in the Key West area revealing that
about 10 percent, or 1,000 people, of the coastal town’s population are infected with
the dengue fever virus.

While the July 13 release made little mention of it, the CDC study was provoked by an
earlier 2009 report that a woman in New York State, who had returned from a Florida
Keyes visit, had contracted dengue fever. Within a few weeks of this initial report,
two additional cases were discovered in people who had returned from Key West.
Over the next 3 months of 2009 an additional 26 cases were identified, all tied to
visits to the town.

Because of these reported cases, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District conducted
greatly increased aerial spraying to control mosquitoes. Following the spraying a small
amount of other cases were reported, including that of a 41-year old Key West man
who found blood in his urine and had severely aching joints. Following these
additional reports, the CDC launched its study of antibodies in Key West residents and
found that 5 percent of the town’s residents have been exposed to the dengue virus.
Said CDC dengue expert, Dr. Christopher J. Gregory, “The best estimate from the
survey is that about 5 percent of [residents] was infected in 2009 with dengue.”
Gregory also stated, “We have known for a while it is a possible risk, but this
outbreak shows it is more than possible: It is something that did happen and could
happen again.”

Despite the low-key nature of the Florida release, the Homeland Security
Administration immediately issued a “terror alert” concerning the findings, and
Monroe County, within which Key West is located, also issued its own Health Advisory
warning “effective immediately.”

Said Bob Eadie of the Monroe County Health Department, “Dengue is rare in Florida,
but not unknown. It’s just one of several mosquito-borne illnesses monitored by the
department and why we continually remind the public to take precautions against
bites.” Eadie added, “Many people may be infected and not develop any symptoms.
Our department and the CDC will have to do some detective work after interviewing
and drawing blood from residents who appear to be perfectly fine but may have the
virus.”

Dengue fever is a virus-based disease spread by the bites of mosquitoes. It can be
caused by any one of four separate but related viruses carried by infected
mosquitoes, most commonly the mosquito Aedes aegypti, found in tropic and
subtropic areas. It is commonly found in Southeast Asia, South and Central America,
Indonesia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past several decades it has been
consistently reported that dengue fever has been eradicated in North America.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a far more severe form of the dengue virus. If
untreated it can be fatal. The chief symptoms of dengue fever are a high fever,
severe headache, strong pain behind the eyes, joint, muscle and bone pain, easy
bruising, rash, and mild bleeding from the nose and gums. There is no cure or
vaccine for dengue fever. One can only treat the symptoms in such ways as getting
plenty of rest, drink plenty of water, take pain relievers with acetaminophen, and
promptly consult a skilled physician.

Hidden History of Dengue

It appears highly unlikely that any “detective work” performed by the CDC and
Florida health officials will unearth any evidence of dengue fever being imported into
Florida, but the evidence certainly exists. Prior to the recent Key West findings and
still today, the CDC has consistently reported that there have been no outbreaks of
dengue fever in Florida since 1934, and none in the continental U.S. since 1946.
Remarkably, this report is incorrect.

Unknown to most Americans is that dengue fever has been the intense focus of U.S.
army and CIA biological warfare researchers for over fifty years. As early as the
1950s, the army’s Fort Detrick in partnership with the CIA launched a multi-million
dollar research program under which dengue fever and several addition exotic
diseases were studied for use in offensive biological warfare attacks. Indeed, as
several CIA documents, as well as the findings of a 1975 Congressional committee
reveal that 3 sites in Florida, Key West, Panama City, and Avon Park, as well as 2
other locations in central Florida, were used for experiments with mosquito borne
dengue fever and other biological substances.

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Aedes-aegypti mosquito

The experiments in Avon Park, about 170 miles from Miami, were covertly conducted
in a low-income African American neighborhood that contained several newly
constructed public housing projects. CIA documents related to Project MK/NAOMI
clearly indicate that the mosquitoes used in Avon Park were the Aedes aegypti type.
Interestingly, at the same time experiments were conducted in Florida there were at
least two cases of dengue fever reported among civilian researchers at Fort Detrick in
Maryland. Avon Park residents still living in the area say that the experiments resulted
in “at least 6 or 7 deaths". One elderly resident told this journalist, “Nobody knew
about what had gone on here for years, maybe over 20 years, but in looking back it
explained why a bunch of healthy people got sick quick and died at the time of those
experiments.”

A 1978 Pentagon publication, entitled Biological Warfare: Secret Testing &
Volunteers, reveals that the Army’s Chemical Corps and Special Operations and
Projects Divisions at Fort Detrick conducted “tests” similar to the Avon Park
experiments in Key West, but the bulk of the documentation concerning this highly
classified and covert work is still held by the Pentagon as “secret.” One former Fort
Detrick researcher says that the army “performed a number of experiments in the
area of the Keys” but that “not all concerned dengue virus.”

In the spring and summer of 1981, Cuba experienced a severe hemorrhagic dengue
fever epidemic. Between May and October 1981, the island nation had 158 dengue-
related deaths with about 75,000 reported infection cases. Prior to this outbreak,
Cuba had reported only a very small number of cases in 1944 and 1977. At the same
time as the 1981 outbreak, covert biological warfare attacks on Cuba’s residents and
crops were believed to have been conducted against the island by CIA contractors
and military airplane flyovers. Particularly harmful to the nation was a severe
outbreak of swine flu that Fidel Castro attributed to the CIA.

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Anti-dengue fumigation in Nicaragua.

In 1985 and 1986, authorities in Nicaragua accused the CIA of creating a massive
outbreak of dengue fever that infected thousands in that country. CIA officials denied
any involvement, but army researchers admitted that intensive work with arthropod
vectors for offensive biowarfare objectives had been conducted at Fort Detrick in the
early 1980s, having first started in the early 1950s. Fort Detrick researchers reported
that huge colonies of mosquitoes infected with not only dengue virus but also yellow
fever were maintained at the Frederick, Maryland installation, as well as hordes of
flies carrying cholera and anthrax, and thousands of ticks filled with Colorado fever
and relapsing fever.

A review of declassified Army Chemical Corps documents reveal that the army may
have also been engaged in dengue fever research as early as the late 1940s. Several
redacted Camp Detrick and Edgewood Arsenal reports indicate that experiments
were conducted on state and federal prisoners who were unwittingly exposed to
dengue fever, as well as other viruses, some possibly lethal. Freedom of Information
requests filed months ago for details on these early experiments remain unanswered.

Dengue Fever & BP Spill Complications

The timing of this outbreak of Dengue fever presents two additional problems; the
symptoms of Dengue fever are very similar to that of exposures to chemicals such as
those contained in crude oil and the dispersants currently being used in the
contaminated areas of the Gulf of Mexico, potentially making it difficult to diagnose
the source of a sufferer’s symptoms. Worse yet, there looms the possibility that
Corexit and other toxins present in the Gulf area may weaken the immune system,
thus setting the stage for more severe forms of the disease in people who are, or
have previously been, exposed to the virus.

It is still unclear to what degree residents of the Gulf area, at large, have been or will
be exposed to such chemicals in the long term, but there is mounting evidence that
fishermen, cleanup workers, and others who spend significant time in contact with
the Gulf waters are beginning to display symptoms consistent with chemically
induced neurotoxicity. If Dengue fever also spreads within the Gulf community,
affecting a significant number of people, it will be increasingly difficult to differentiate
the cause of symptoms in those who develop them; even in persons who test positive
for Dengue exposure, the additional possibility remains that chemical toxicity is
present as well.

The presentation of Dengue fever varies considerably from case to case. Numerous
medical studies have identified asymptomatic infections, or infections that consist of
only mild flu-like symptoms that would likely not result in the sufferer seeking medical
attention.

When more troubling symptoms are present, they vary considerably in severity.
According to the CDC, milder cases of Dengue fever are identified by a high fever
accompanied by at least two of the following symptoms: severe headache, severe eye
pain (behind eyes), joint pain, muscle and/or bone pain, rash, a mild bleeding
manifestation such as bleeding gums, nose bleeds, or easy bruising, and low white
cell count. In more severe cases, Dengue can cause severe abdominal pain or
persistent vomiting, red blotches or patches on the skin, more severe bleeding of
nose or gums, vomiting of blood, black tarry excrement (indicative of the presence of
blood in the stool,) drowsiness, irritability, cold or clammy skin, pallor, and difficulty
breathing. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene has reported
cases of Dengue fever that resulted in neurological manifestations, as well.

Dengue fever can also cause a much more serious, hemorrhagic form of the disease,
the presentation of which the CDC describes as follows: “[A] fever that lasts from 2 to
7 days, with general signs and symptoms consistent with dengue fever. When the
fever declines, warning signs may develop. This marks the beginning of a 24 to 48
hour period when the smallest blood vessels (capillaries) become excessively
permeable (“leaky”), allowing the fluid component to escape from the blood vessels
into the peritoneum (causing ascites) and pleural cavity (leading to pleural effusions).
This may lead to failure of the circulatory system and shock, and possibly death
without prompt, appropriate treatment. In addition, the patient with DHF has a low
platelet count and hemorrhagic manifestations, tendency to bruise easily or have
other types of skin hemorrhages, bleeding nose or gums, and possibly internal
bleeding.”

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An aircraft releases Corexist oil dispersant over the Gulf oil spill on 5 May 2010.
    Stephen Lehmann/US Coast Guard/UPI/Newscom

As if this were not troubling enough, let us compare the above symptom picture to
the symptoms associated with exposure to the dispersants Corexit 9500 and Corexit
9527. The exact risks of exposure to these chemicals have yet to be determined; in
fact, the manufacturers’ material safety data sheet (MSDS) for Corexit 9500 states:
“No toxicity studies have been conducted on this product.” The MSDS further states
that one should not come in contact with the product or breathe its vapors, and that
adequate protective skin protection and breathing apparatuses should be worn when
handling or working with the compound. Any hints of safe usage within the MSDS on
these chemicals should be viewed from the following perspective: the MSDS data
assumes limited exposure (for example, while applying the chemical) and the use of
adequate protective gear. These statistics do not apply, therefore, to unprotected
people who may be subject to long term, consistent exposure.

Many toxicologists have raised grave concerns, however, about the risks that these
dispersants may pose to residents of the Gulf of Mexico area. Dr. Susan Shaw, a
marine toxicologist, talked about her recent experience with shrimpers who had been
working in the Gulf waters. In an interview on CNN, she addressed the situation of a
shrimper who had thrown his net into water, causing the water to splash onto his
unprotected skin. She reported that he developed a “headache that lasted 3 weeks,
heart palpitations, muscle spasms, bleeding from the rectum
” and continued, “and
that’s what this Corexit does, it ruptures red blood cells, causes internal bleeding, and
liver and kidney damage. 
” She asserts that the combination of oil from the well,
combined with Corexit dispersant, increases the toxicity of both substances. In
combination, she believes that they are skin permeable, and that they aerosolize to
produce a breathing hazard as well. The toxins can enter the body through the
respiratory tract, but are unlikely to remain localized in the lungs, instead spreading
throughout one’s entire body system.

Numerous reports have come in from both residents of the Gulf area and journalists
visiting the area that many people who are exposed to the water are beginning to
experience health problems. Among the most commonly reported symptoms are
burning eyes, skin rashes, lightheadedness, dizziness, difficulty breathing, transient
numbness and shooting pains, persistent coughing, sore throats, muscle and bone
aches, weakness, and severe fatigue. More troubling reports, such as those of the
shrimpers mentioned above, have included bleeding from the nose and from the
rectum, as well as permanent numbness in extremities, and complete loss of the
sense of smell. It is generally accepted in the medical literature that although the
initial, acute presentation of toxic exposure is generally the most severe, symptoms
may linger indefinitely or even result in permanent damage to the body.

Herein lies the dilemma: If a Gulf resident becomes ill, to what do we attribute his or
her symptoms? In addition to the dispersants themselves, Gulf residents are
potentially suffering from exposure to benzene, and other toxic chemicals that are
naturally present in crude oil, as well as several potentially toxic gases being released
from the well. In combination with the dispersant, the exact toxicity risk of these
chemicals remains unknown.

Add now, to the picture, the risk of having contracted Dengue fever, and the puzzle
becomes more difficult to piece together. The CDC’s 2009 survey contained samples
from only 240 households, and determined that about 5% of the residents had
antibodies to the Dengue virus, indicating either current infection or a prior exposure.
This relatively small sample may not be indicative of the Florida population as a
whole, and may not be a valid indicator of the overall number of exposed people in
the surrounding areas.

The medical literature indicates that Dengue virus, like many other viruses, may
remain in the body in a latent form; during latency, the virus is unlikely to cause
symptoms. A second infection with Dengue, however, can lead to a much more
severe presentation of the disease, and a greater likelihood of it progressing to its
hemorrhagic (and potentially fatal) form. Likewise, the literature indicates that a
severe assault to the immune system presents a risk of virus reactivation and
resultant disease.

Dr. Shaw’s assessment of the dangers of Corexit dispersant, particularly in
combination with the other contaminants resulting from the damaged BP oil well,
includes the potential for severe damage to the immune system. Such immune
system suppression or damage, it seems, could then reactivate Dengue fever in
residents who carry the latent virus, perhaps even resulting in a more severe form of
the disease’s presentation.

Assuming the above quoted assessments of the current situation in Florida are
accurate, the presence of the Dengue virus in Florida at this time makes for a
nightmarish picture. Not only is there a tremendous symptom overlap between
Dengue virus and toxin exposure, up to and including the potential for a
hemorrhagic presentation of both, but there looms on the horizon a new and
frightening possibility: The combined presence of this disease and a toxic
environment might have the potential to combine, making an already tragic situation
incrementally worse.
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	Hank P. Albarelli Jr.

Investigative journalist and writer who lives in Florida and Vermont. Last book
published : « A Terrible Mistake : The murder of Frank Olson and the CIA’s secret
Cold War Experiments ». Albarelli’s book documents and details numerous CIA and
Pentagon sponsored experiments on unwitting human subjects. Albarelli is a
founding member of the recently formed North American Truth and Accountability
Commission on Human Experimentation.


	Zoe Martell

Lecturer in psychology at San Francisco State University; much of her work has
focused on the experiences of people suffering from chronic illnesses. She is also an
artist, and is currently working toward a dual master’s degree at San Francisco Art
Institute.