Images Of Poliomyelitis


Flu in Denver, Year 2003
Toxicological Considerations

by Jim West

[This page is a work in progress, an inquiry, until at least April, 2004.  Feedback welcome.]

 

Theoretical Position

This paper outlines hypotheses regarding the position that total stress burden upon an individual is a cause for influenza.

 

Stress As Causation

Cold weather, stressing the respiratory system, can bring on flu symptoms.  Psycho-social stress can contribute, as when the chessmaster, Boris Spasky suffered a lengthy bout of flu after losing to Bobby  Fischer.  Similarly, social loss (of a close friend or relative) brings about the same symptoms.  

Stress can be emotional, social, innate, due to internally absorbed pharmaceutical poisons, pesticides in food, and externally absorbed industrial poisons, such as emissions and pesticides.

Industrial pollution is an established factor in disease causation, at the least, in orthodox terms, when immunity is weakened due to the stress of pollution.



Environmental Toxicology and Flu-Like Diseases

"Confirmed (by lab tests) viral upper respiratory influenza" is just one of many similar diseases that occur before, during and after the flu season.  Yet, all of these similar diseases may have a common cause, ie., stress from air pollution.

1) Chemical labels often warn of symptoms of over-exposure in terms of "flu-like illness."

2) West Nile virus disease is described as "flu-like illness", which incidence correlates day-to-day with air emission levels and topography:  www.geocities.com/noxot

3) Polio symptoms (early stage) are flu-like, and this disease correlates well with persistent pesticide exposure:  www.geocities.com/harpub

4) SARS is a "flu-like illness", with its incidence correlating well with air pollution levels and topography: www.westonaprice.org/envtoxins/sarsepidemic.html

No human or animal is being diagnosed with "air pollution" disease, even though it is agreed within orthodoxy that air pollution is a major killer, greater than automobile accidents.  So how is air pollution disease being diagnosed?



Colorado, Winter 2003

This year, 2003, Colorado seems to be getting the most news re flu epidemics.  Several children have died, and over 6,000 stricken to date (12/14/2003). These epidemics correlate perfectly with air pollution.  Here is a description of winter pollution:

http://www.raqc.org/winter/winter-act.htm
"Denver's Winter High Pollution Season"
"Strong temperature inversions can lead to increased carbon monoxide (CO) and particulate matter (PM) levels and impaired visual air quality in the region during the winter months, jeopardizing our health and our economy."

This gets the picture across quickly:

 

"An unwelcome guest, Denver's "brown cloud" of smoke and smog returns to the city each winter as heavy, cold air holds pollutants close to the ground. The cloud's dismal color is created by sunlight reflected off dustlike particles of wood smoke, diesel exhaust, and factory emissions. From mid-November to mid-January, when atmospheric inversions often occur here, Denver also suffers the nation's highest concentration of carbon monoxide." [Adjacent oil refineries are not mentioned nor viewed in this URL page.]

www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/2554/ng-air9.htm

Another descriptive item

http://boston.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2003/11/03/focus2.html
"City's industrial landscape getting makeover Erin Johansen Denver Business Journal Denver's northeast neighbor, Commerce City, is closely associated with heavy industry, including the oil refineries that dominate the landscape."

A Colorado State study (year 2001) finds, 

"Formaldehyde risk is about 100 times above the EPA-recommended level.  Acetaldehyde risk is about 10 times the EPA-recommended level."  

There is much evidence that formaldehyde from petrochemical sources (MTBE) was a primary cause for the flu epidemics called "West Nile virus epidemics" in the U.S.  See www.geocities.com/noxot

Colorado State's study concluded, "Many of the compounds measured do not have EPA-recommended toxicity 'benchmarks'. Of those that do, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, tetrachloroethylene, and p-dichlorobenzene are present in Denver air at levels that may create health concerns." -- UrbanAirToxicsFinal.pdf, prepared by Air Pollution Control Division, Technical Services, State of Colorado.

The study does not mention "refinery" in its executive summary, however, the word is otherwise found frequently throughout.

The study provides a full-year (2000-2001, not 2003) graph of levels of formaldehyde and similar compounds. My annotations of the two forms of influenza disease are in blue:

 

Emission Graphs (Denver), Year 2003

Given a familiarity with the recent flu epidemics, these graphs of air pollution make sense because air pollution produces flu symptoms (http://www.homesafe.com/cosupport/general-symptoms.html):

 

Denver Air Pollution, Carbon Monoxide Component (Year 2003)
During the Flu Epidemics

http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/main.html

 

Denver Air Pollution, Sulfur Dioxide Component (Year 2003)
During the Flu Epidemics

http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/main.html

 

Denver Air Pollution, PM10 Component (Year 2003)
During the Flu Epidemics

http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/main.html

In Colorado, the government agencies issues "red" alerts during high air pollution. Did they issue "red" alerts during flu incidence spikes?

That question was actually my first foray into my search for Denver flu causation:  I typed into www.google.com, keywords related to a major flu spike:  "Tuesday, Colorado, red, air pollution, 2003".  

Here is the first noted result, a coinciding spike of winter air pollution:

---Mesa, CO---
http://www.co.mesa.co.us/health/environment/airadvisories.htm
A RED air quality advisory is being declared for Monday, December 01 through
3:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 02 for the western Colorado valleys including
the communities of Grand Junction, Delta and Montrose.

From 11/30/03 to 12/2/03, three children died of influenza in the Denver area.

Mesa is a little to the west of the major epidemic areas (Denver) that I was aware of, so I then focused on the Denver environment and flu activity:

 

Denver Region

Dates 11/20 to 11/25 had the highest levels of sulfur dioxide for the entire year.  11/24 had the fifth highest levels of carbon monoxide.  11/24 and 11/25 had the seventh and eighth highest levels of particulate matter (PM2.5).

This article published on 11/26, states that 1,100 FLU cases were reported during 11/24 and the four previous days, representing one third of all flu cases reported to that date this year.  Four children died in that "outbreak" which coincided with high emission levels.

www.channel4000.com/sh/health/stories/health-266682520031126-111131.html
Four Children Die In Colorado Flu Outbreak
Posted: 12:28 p.m. EST November 26, 2003
DENVER -- Colorado is dealing with one of its worst flu outbreaks in years.
The state has had nearly 3,400 confirmed cases of the flu this season. That includes more than 1,100 cases reported between Thursday and Monday. Four children have died of flu-related illnesses, three of those at Children's Hospital in Denver. [...]

Air poison levels peak, children and elderly die, thousands get ill, and the only headline is the "flu" and "get vaccinated".



Oil Refineries

The air toxic mystery is usually resolved with a search for "oil refinery" and the epidemic township name.  Plug these into www.google.com  and up pops Conoco Oil Refinery and Colorado Refining Company.  These appear to lay within the city of Denver, but technically, they are out of the city limits (see map).

The epidemic areas mentioned in the news are mostly adjacent the oil refineries.  The refineries are nearly within the city limits of Denver. The official air pollution alert for polluted winter days is "no burning firewood outdoors."  No mention of industry -- pollution is blamed on campers and house heating.  As in the tri-state region (NY/NJ/CT), no media speaks of refinery air pollution; all the news here (NYC) is absolutely silent on the issue, even when refinery pollution is highly evident (www.geocities.com/noxot), or when the city is draped in refinery pollution.  The major environmental groups, such as Audubon Society, are dependent upon strong funding from the major polluters, and their board of directors are stuffed with their representatives;  that may account for their reticence.  Same goes for the EPA.

---Colorado Flu deaths near refineries---December 5, 2003---
http://www.vietnamvets.com/wwwboard/messages/21581.html
"A 2-year-old and a 4-year-old from suburban Thornton died of the flu this week, following the deaths last month of children ages 15, 8 and 21 months. State officials were trying to determine if the death of another 2-year-old was caused by flu, and officials in Colorado Springs on Wednesday confirmed the death of a sixth-grader in Colorado Springs School District 11, possibly from the flu."

Five children dying of the "flu".  Obviously there is something about Thornton. It is near Commerce City..

The refineries are in Commerce City.  My flu research focused there merely because of the oil refineries.  It was then found to be a major flu epicenter.

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2003/11/03/focus2.html
"Denver's northeast neighbor, Commerce City, is closely associated with heavy industry, including the oil refineries that dominate the landscape."

Commerce City is also the primary West Nile virus epicenter for Colorado, per the following excerpt:

www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_2129025,00.html
West Nile cases in 2002
. Sept. 17: Commerce City man is state's first confirmed human case
. Sept. 25: Man from Prowers County and man from Weld County
. Oct. 3: 19-year-old Pueblo woman and an 18-year-old Commerce City man, 
        son of  Sept. 17 case
. Oct. 28: 42-year-old woman in Commerce City

As stated earlier, much evidence links West Nile virus epidemics to air pollution.

Denver air pollution is triple any other area in the state on 12/12/03
http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/main.html

Denver Air Pollution:  A Different View

http://apcd.state.co.us/psi/main.html, the Air Pollution Control Division for Colorado, gives us pertinent data.

During the last 346 days (1/1/03 to present), the last three weeks (which are the flu epidemic weeks) are the worst polluted, vying with mid-summer levels:

 

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Year 2003
Date Position, as "Worst" 
Day of the Year
11/20/03 8th
11/24/03 1st
11/25/03 2nd
12/02/03 7th
12/04/03 8th
12/06/03 4th
12/07/03 5th


That matches the flu epidemic spikes.  So does the next set of numbers:

 

Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Year 2003
Date Position, as "Worst" 
Day of the Year
11/24/03 5th
12/01/03 10th
12/03/03 10th
12/06/03 7th
12/07/03 7th


While not all these toxic dates win the top annual prize; they are among the highest and are strung together, day after day, pounding the population of Denver.

 

Particulate Matter (PM2.5)
 Year 2003
Date Position, as "Worst" 
Day of the Year
11/24/03 7th
11/25/03 8th
12/02/03 10th
12/06/03 5th
12/07/03 5th
12/11/03 4th
12/12/03 3rd
12/13/03 8th

 

Graphic Summary:  Carbon Monoxide ("Camp" Monitor site, Denver)

Note re Monitor Events fields above:  I had only queried for the top 12 highest levels of the year, so blank fields meaning "not as bad as 12th worst."

 

Colorado State Department of Health Cases
Versus Three Air Pollution Monitors

This graph might not be the strongest presentation of the air pollution theory.  However, here is an interpretation:  Up to, and including 12/3/2003, air pollution and flu morbidity correlate well.  A loosely correlated decline then begins towards 12/15/2003, loosely, because susceptibles were no longer available after the tremendous spike of 11/24/2003.  Few susceptibles were remaining after 12/3/2003 in the face of continuing high air pollution.  Still lacking is data for carbonyls (such as formaldehyde), VOCs, and nitrates.

Up To 12/15

 

Up To 12/20

A week later.   This chart includes polynomial lines (trendlines), and deaths are marked with circles.

The intent is to update this graph each week for the next few months.  So reader, stay in touch.

Up to 1/4/2003

Decreasing flu and air pollution correlate very well, just as expected.  Charts above not updated here yet.

 

[Temperature analysis goes here, work in progress]

 


Conclusion

Air pollution is a subtle, politically hidden killer.  Remember the "great heat wave" that killed so many people last summer in Europe?  That was
diagnosed by orthodoxy even, to be air pollution, if you read the fine print:

Source: Reuters  [Sep 01, 2003]
"PARIS (Reuters) -- Air pollution may have been the cause of death for thousands of French people who died in a heatwave that struck Europe this August, an environmental official said on Monday. [...]"

More related air pollution information:

http://www.disabilitylife.net/Text/Colorado%20Quarterly%20Text/summer2003/colorado_quarterly_text_version.htm
"AIR POLLUTION FATALITIES NOW EXCEED TRAFFIC FATALITIES BY 3 TO 1"
"The World Health Organization reports that 3 million people now die each year from the effects of air pollution. This is three times the 1 million who die each year in automobile accidents. A study published in The Lancet in 2000 concluded that air pollution in France, Austria, and Switzerland is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths annually in those three countries. About half of these deaths can be traced to air pollution from vehicle emissions. [...]"

 

Toxic vaccines

http://www.gov.ns.ca/health/downloads/influenzamyths.pdf
"Less than 2% of recipients of influenza vaccine will experience flu-like symptoms..."

That orthodox statement depends upon patients' and doctors' willingness to report symptoms.  Doctors don't get paid to fill out the forms, so what's the incentive.  Admission of iatrogenic causation can result in malpractice lawsuits, loss of time and profit.

There is more data on vaccines as causative for flu symptoms and the statistics of reporting adverse vaccine reactions.  Sheri Nakken has the data:  http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm

Personal experience:  While in the Army, everyone in my unit experienced coughing, sputum, "flu", fever, and walking pneumonia immediately after being subjected to a battery of vaccinations. We heard of soldiers falling over dead with fever in other units.  The health problems, a brooding fever, constant tiredness and susceptibility to respiratory problems took years to recover from.  Vaccines are loaded with poisons to neutralize and preserve the "deadly virus" they contain.

Are vaccines effective?  The flu "virus" evolves and changes form rapidly; thus flu vaccines have been described as not effective. 

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5222a2.htm
"CDC has antigenically characterized 626 influenza viruses submitted by U.S. laboratories since September 29, 2002."

 

Redefining "Flu"

To know what killed the influenza victims this year, an environmental analysis should be included in the diagnostics for each child, finding the total stress burden.

Wind direction, stagnation
Emissions (petrochemical, smelters, powerplants, etc.)
Expressway
Airports
Pharmaceutical history
Vaccination history
Nutritional study
Water study
Health history

As it is, doctors are more interested in who sneezed, forgot to wash their hands, and vaccination status.  Medical diagnostics may be biased since, studies show that a primary source of information for MD's is provided by pharmaceutical companies (med-schools are not considered "pharmaceutical companies" in this assessment).


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