Environment & Energy

Binkie The Clown

(7,911 posts) Sat Feb 13, 2016, 02:07 PM Feb 2016

Is it really Zika Virus, or is it Monsanto?

[font size=4]Latin American Doctors Suggest Monsanto-Linked Larvicide Cause of Microcephaly, Not Zika Virus[/font]

The report, written by the Argentine group Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST), suspects that pyriproxyfen—a larvicide added to drinking water to stop the development of mosquito larvae in drinking water tanks—has caused the birth defects.

The authors said that the pesticide, known by its commercial name SumiLarv, is manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical, a Japanese subsidiary of Monsanto.

According to PCST, in 2014, the Brazilian Ministry of Health introduced pyriproxyfen to drinking-water reservoirs in the state of Pernambuco, where the proliferation of the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito is very high.

“Malformations detected in thousands of children from pregnant women living in areas where the Brazilian state added pyriproxyfen to drinking water is not a coincidence, even though the Ministry of Health places a direct blame on Zika virus for this damage, while trying to ignore its responsibility and ruling out the hypothesis of direct and cumulative chemical damage caused by years of endocrine and immunological disruption of the a acted population,” PCST said.

More at EcoWatch

17 replies

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Highlight:

Is it really Zika Virus, or is it Monsanto? (Original Post) Binkie The Clown Feb 2016 OP

That sadly makes some sense. TDale313 Feb 2016 #1

Well, there IS this, from the article: dixiegrrrrl Feb 2016 #7

I don't think it does. Try reading FactCheck on the topic of zika Yo_Mama Feb 2016 #13

Monsanto SoLeftIAmRight Feb 2016 #2

Conspiracy theory territory 21st Century Poet Feb 2016 #3

I am no longer surprised at these stories.....nt 2naSalit Feb 2016 #4

We live in a toxic soup JFKDem62 Feb 2016 #5

I hope they can get to the bottom of it with concrete proof, whatever the cause. GoneFishin Feb 2016 #6

Zika has now been implicated in miscarriages in two women in the US, and one US microcephaly case NickB79 Feb 2016 #8

Looks like they were exposed to the pesticide in the same place they were exposed to Zika. bananas Feb 2016 #9

Also, miscarriages are common - as many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage bananas Feb 2016 #10

FWIW, Monsanto does not own Sumitomo Chemical, which is an independent company muriel_volestrangler Feb 2016 #11

Right. I didn't see the Monsanto connection. progressoid Feb 2016 #15

This doesn't seem very plausible at all. Yo_Mama Feb 2016 #12

Zika wouldn't be the first disease to cause microcephaly either NickB79 Feb 2016 #14

There are some big problems with this claim. HuckleB Feb 2016 #16

EXPERT REACTION: Is a pesticide, not Zika virus, causing microcephaly? (Not likely.) HuckleB Feb 2016 #17

TDale313

(7,820 posts)

1. That sadly makes some sense.

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 02:24 PM

Feb 2016

If so I hope there's serious repercussions.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

7. Well, there IS this, from the article:

Reply to TDale313 (Reply #1)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 04:26 PM

Feb 2016

“Previous Zika epidemics did not cause birth defects in newborns, despite infecting 75 percent of the population in those countries,”
the paper said.
“Also, in other countries such as Colombia there are no records of microcephaly; however, there are plenty of Zika cases.”

Indeed, as The Ecologist observed from PCST’s report, Colombia has so far diagnosed 3,177 pregnant women with the Zika virus,
but these women gave birth to healthy babies or are carrying healthy fetuses.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)

13. I don't think it does. Try reading FactCheck on the topic of zika

Reply to TDale313 (Reply #1)

Sun Feb 14, 2016, 03:00 PM

Feb 2016

http://www.factcheck.org/2016/02/the-facts-about-zika/

First, it is likely that previously, Brazil underreported cases of microcephaly compared to the US, for example.

Second, the reported 4,000 cases are the result of a board screening. As each case is evaluated, many are being discarded.

So with over 3 million births, maybe the virus caused injury in 2,500. However, it is a certainty that not all pregnant mothers were infected.

The numbers (please read FactCheck.org) strongly suggest that a chemical in the water isn't at fault, because that would be a much broader exposure.

More will be known in just a few months.

SoLeftIAmRight

(4,883 posts)

2. Monsanto

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 02:38 PM

Feb 2016

...

21st Century Poet

(254 posts)

3. Conspiracy theory territory

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 02:40 PM

Feb 2016

This sounds more like a conspiracy theory to me than real science.

Another one which I heard is that Bill Gates is spreading the Zika virus to bring population growth under control.

2naSalit

(86,647 posts)

4. I am no longer surprised at these stories.....nt

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 02:41 PM

Feb 2016

JFKDem62

(383 posts)

5. We live in a toxic soup

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 02:55 PM

Feb 2016

It affects the young and old the most.

GoneFishin

(5,217 posts)

6. I hope they can get to the bottom of it with concrete proof, whatever the cause.

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 03:33 PM

Feb 2016

NickB79

(19,253 posts)

8. Zika has now been implicated in miscarriages in two women in the US, and one US microcephaly case

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 04:30 PM

Feb 2016

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/us-women-miscarry-zika-infection-cdc/story?id=36894542

Officials have also been concerned that the virus could cross the placenta, an organ that develops in a woman's uterus during pregnancy and provides oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. This development could potentially lead to miscarriages.

CDC officials confirmed to ABC News that the women who miscarried were being monitored by their doctors after they were diagnosed with the Zika virus. In total, at least three women in the U.S. have been infected with Zika after returning from abroad with the virus.

One woman in Hawaii gave birth to a child with microcephaly in January. That woman is believed to have been exposed to the Zika virus in Brazil last year. In all three cases the Zika virus was found in the placenta.

Pretty hard to say it's pesticides if women who were never exposed to these pesticides are being affected.

bananas

(27,509 posts)

9. Looks like they were exposed to the pesticide in the same place they were exposed to Zika.

Reply to NickB79 (Reply #8)

Sun Feb 14, 2016, 07:57 AM

Feb 2016

The article says all three were exposed "abroad".
It says the one with microcephaly was exposed in Brazil,
doesn't specify the country for the two miscarriages but Brazil is likely.

bananas

(27,509 posts)

10. Also, miscarriages are common - as many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage

Reply to NickB79 (Reply #8)

Sun Feb 14, 2016, 08:04 AM

Feb 2016

http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/pregnancy-miscarriage

According to the March of Dimes, as many as 50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage -- most often before a woman misses a menstrual period or even knows she is pregnant. About 15-25% of recognized pregnancies will end in a miscarriage.

muriel_volestrangler

(101,321 posts)

11. FWIW, Monsanto does not own Sumitomo Chemical, which is an independent company

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sun Feb 14, 2016, 09:42 AM

Feb 2016

quoted on the Tokyo stock exchange:
http://www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp/english/company/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumitomo_Chemical

The report seems to have confused collaboration in Latin America between Sumitomo and Monsanto on herbicides, with Sumitomo's production of pyriproxyfen, an insecticide.

But getting 'Monsanto' into a headline on DU (or in the USA generally) will guarantee hits. If they said "Sumitomo", or "Japanese chemical company", the outrage would be a lot less.

progressoid

(49,991 posts)

15. Right. I didn't see the Monsanto connection.

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Reply #11)

Mon Feb 15, 2016, 10:56 AM

Feb 2016

But it does make for great knee jerk reactions.

Yo_Mama

(8,303 posts)

12. This doesn't seem very plausible at all.

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sun Feb 14, 2016, 02:17 PM

Feb 2016

There have been a few western cases, notably this one, in which zika has been found.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-zika-science-idUSKCN0VJ2M7

If zika is causing neural birth defects, then it is likely that these cases will emerge in Columbia over the next four or five months.

Zika probably got to Columbia later. There probably hasn't been time.

http://www.virology.ws/2016/02/10/zika-virus-and-microcephaly/

It doesn't seem possible that zika causes birth defects in all or most exposed pregnancies. Nor are the tests that great - they probably have false positives and false negatives.

https://www.rt.com/news/332391-colombia-zika-spread-pregnant/

Also, be aware that Brazil's screening for microcephaly is probably catching some normal kids. They are just using a size index. In the US, when non-acute microcephaly is detected in infants the standard is watchful waiting.

Finally, the pattern of eye and brain defects found is odd, and seems unlikely to be from a toxin. The chemical being blamed her has been around for quite some time, and is used in flea medicines in the US. I would think any such association would have shown up long before.

NickB79

(19,253 posts)

14. Zika wouldn't be the first disease to cause microcephaly either

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Sun Feb 14, 2016, 04:22 PM

Feb 2016

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/microcephaly/basics/causes/con-20034823

Infections of the fetus during pregnancy. These include toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus, German measles (rubella) and chickenpox (varicella).

Zika has been found to cross the placenta.

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

16. There are some big problems with this claim.

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Mon Feb 15, 2016, 03:58 PM

Feb 2016

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/02/15/say-it-aint-so-george-george-takei-falls-for-a-zika-virus-conspiracy-theory/

"...

Each case is different, though; so let’s take a look at this particular claim. First off, what is Pyriproxyfen? Basically, it’s a pesticide that is effective against a wide variety of arthropoda (insects). Specifically, it’s a a juvenile hormone analog that prevents insect larvae from developing into adulthood and thus renders them unable to reproduce. It was introduced into the US in 1996 to protect crops against the whitefly.

Now here’s the thing. It’s not as though pyriproxyfen hasn’t been well studied. The WHO even has a web page with its guidelines for pyriproxifen in drinking water. A great deal is known about its physiochemical properties, toxicology, and safe levels. Specifically, the WHO recommends that the dosage of pyriproxyfen in potable water in containers should not exceed 0.01 mg/L under the WHO Pesticides Evaluation Scheme. More specifically:

...

I would also add that Brazil would have to have been using truly massive doses to exceed the acceptable daily intake, not to mention that humans do not make or use sesquiterpenoid hormones (a.k.a. insect juvenile hormones), which is what pyriproxifen targets. Finally, one can’t help but notice that Doctors in the Crop-Sprayed Towns is anything but an objective group. It’s been around at least since 2010, and its message has always been the same dating back to 2010: That pesticides cause spontaneous abortions, infertility, congenital malformations, and a wide variety of disorders. In other words, this is a biased report from a biased group presenting no evidence to back up its conclusions. It’s all speculation based on a fear of pesticides.

...

There are lots of conspiracy theories out there. There’s lots of pseudoscience out there. Whenever something like the Zika virus makes it into the news, you can be absolutely sure that conspiracy theories based on pseudoscience will inevitably follow. That’s why it’s so critical to do a little research before sharing something like this. When you have such an enormous social media platform, you owe it to your fans not to use it to spread misinformation like this."

------------------------------------------------------

And the product is made by Sumitomo, not Monsanto. ...

HuckleB

(35,773 posts)

17. EXPERT REACTION: Is a pesticide, not Zika virus, causing microcephaly? (Not likely.)

Reply to Binkie The Clown (Original post)

Mon Feb 15, 2016, 04:11 PM

Feb 2016

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/expert-reaction-is-a-pesticide-not-zika-virus-causing-microcephaly

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