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Question
Berta
I have started some research on the 9 new proposed presumptives for GWVs, and Iraq and Afganistan vets.
As I said in the topic I posted on this- some of these bacterial or parasitic infections are mild,needing minimal treatment and some of them can become fatal.
I wonder if VA knows which ones are which.
I picked Coxiella burnetii to do further research on and found this mentioned in some BVA decisions in which the veterans did have some form of heart disease and other serious disabilties.
“Coxiella burnetii (Q Fever)
“Only about one-half of all people infected with C. burnetii show signs of clinical illness. Most acute cases of Q fever begin with sudden onset of one or more of the following: high fevers (up to 104-105° F), severe headache, general malaise, myalgia, confusion, sore throat, chills, sweats, non-productive cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and chest pain. Fever usually lasts for 1 to 2 weeks. Weight loss can occur and persist for some time. Thirty to fifty percent of patients with a symptomatic infection will develop pneumonia. Additionally, a majority of patients have abnormal results on liver function tests and some will develop hepatitis. In general, most patients will recover to good health within several months without any treatment. Only 1%-2% of people with acute Q fever die of the disease.
Chronic Q fever, characterized by infection that persists for more than 6 months is uncommon but is a much more serious disease. Patients who have had acute Q fever may develop the chronic form as soon as 1 year or as long as 20 years after initial infection. A serious complication of chronic Q fever is endocarditis, generally involving the aortic heart valves, less commonly the mitral valve. Most patients who develop chronic Q fever have pre-existing valvular heart disease or have a history of vascular graft. Transplant recipients, patients with cancer, and those with chronic kidney disease are also at risk of developing chronic Q fever. As many as 65% of persons with chronic Q fever may die of the disease. “
source:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/qfever/
Then in 2 cases so far I found these statements by the BVA:
“During the veteran's service, the U.S.S. Granville S. Hall
participated in the following SHAD tests - Autumn Gold, Eager
Belle II, Big Tom, Fearless Johnny, Flower Drum I, High Low,
and Shady Grove. The following agents, simulants, and
tracers were used: Bacillus globiggi (BG), Coxiella burnetii
(OU), Pasteurella tularensis (UL), VX nerve agent,
Diethylphthlate, Bacillus substilis var. Niger (Bacillus
globigii (BG)), Sarin nerve agent, Sulphur dioxide, Zinc
Cadmium Sulfide, and Methylacetoacetate. According to the
veteran, the participants were not informed of the details of
the tests and protective clothing and equipment were not
issued. He has also stated that there were no
decontamination efforts.”
from:
http://www4.va.gov/vetapp08/files4/0828262.txt
and then this:
However, as confirmed
by viewing the veteran's service personnel records and the
Department of Defense Project SHAD Fact Sheets, the ship to
which the veteran was assigned from December 1962 to June
1964 was noted by the Department of Defense as having been
involved with three additional tests: Autumn Gold (May 1963),
Flower Drum I (February 1964 to April 1964) and Shady Grove
(May 1964). The Department of Defense Fact Sheets on these
tests note that personnel of those ships involved may
have also been exposed to sarin gas, a nerve agent; sulfur
dioxide; methylacetoacetate; coxiella burnetii, a biological
weapon discontinued in 1972; and pasteurella tularensis. It
is noted that at the time of this decision, the website of
the Office of the Secretary of Defense indicates that VA
would have information, to include the personnel roster, for
each of the three additional tests listed above. See Project
112/SHAD Fact Sheets, available at
http://www.fhp.osd.mil/CBexposures/factSheets.jsp (last
http://www4.va.gov/vetapp09/files4/0931798.txt
So VA is saying it is now OK to get coxiella burnettii disease service connected if it shows up at ratable level and was incurred during the Gulf Iraq Afganistan War but it was OK not to service connect any SHAD vets who were exposed to it by our Gov during SHAD and whose disability the VA did not even realize could have possibly come from this when it was used as a bio hazard agent.
Any I going nuts? What is the difference between an enviromental disease and a known bio hazard?
Oh I know- depends whether DOD uses it or not to ostensibly test its affects on humans.
I sure hope that any GWV, OIF OEF vet with any of the new presumptives gets proper medical treatment for it and that all complications from it are properly service connected too.
Edited by BertaLink to comment
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