Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news3~10.htm/text0004.txt

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Runty rodents turned into supermice with one small switch

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (April 30, 1997 2:38 p.m. EDT) -- With a single genetic switch,
scientists have created a strain of supermice two to three times more
muscular than usual, with big, broad shoulders and massive hips.

The genetically altered giants can't outpace speeding locomotives, or
leap much of anything in a single bound. But their creators believe the
mice could spur a revolution in the treatment of muscular dystrophy and
similar diseases, and perhaps even transform the
livestock industry, where bigger muscles would mean more meat.

The supermice were made by Se-Jin Lee, Alexandra McPherron and Ann
Lawler, molecular biologists at the Johns Hopkins University School of
Medicine in Baltimore. The researchers created the mice by deleting a
single gene that appears to limit muscle growth.

"They do look a little strange," McPherron said. She and her colleagues
describe the mice in Thursday's issue of Nature, a British scientific
journal.

Though they seem stronger than their peers, the supermice are gentle
giants. "When I poke them they don't run away as fast as a normal
mouse," McPherron said Tuesday. "They don't seem to be bothered by it."

Aside from their musculature, the mice are physically identical to their
scrawnier kin.

The Hopkins scientists created the burly beasts by knocking out the gene
for a growth factor they discovered. Growth factors are proteins that
either stimulate or suppress the growth and division of certain cell
types, such as bone or nerve -- or muscle.

It turns out the growth factor the Hopkins researchers found, myostatin,
inhibits muscle growth. The researchers found that out as soon as they
saw the mice they had bred without the gene.

The result -- totally buff. And promising.

Drugs could be developed that block the action of myostatin, for
example. Those drugs might counteract some of the muscle wasting that
occurs in diseases such as muscular dystrophy and cachexia, a muscular
deterioration that accompanies AIDS and some forms of cancer.

There's also the possibility that farmers could breed overdeveloped
poultry and cattle, because the researchers have found a corresponding
gene in chickens and cows. Not only would those animals produce really
impressive cuts of meat, but it would be lean meat because eliminating
myostatin affects only muscle. It does not increase fat production.

"We could end up with chickens with two to three times the amount of
meat," Lee said.

It's a long road to reaping the benefits of myostatin, however. And a
long shot, too.

The researchers still haven't shown that humans and other animals also
have the mouse myostatin. They haven't shown that blocking the action of
the protein has the same effect as genetically preventing its creation.
And they haven't shown that bulking up muscle mass by
blocking myostatin would actually help people with muscular dystrophy
and other diseases.

"This is hypothesis, this is projection, this is a possibility raised by
these studies," said Joan Massague, a research scientist at the Memorial
Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in
New York City. "Only time will tell."

Could genetic engineers someday create people who would make Arnold
Schwarzenegger look like Pee Wee Herman?

Yes, in principle anyway. But as Lee pointed out, there are already
powerful drugs to increase muscle mass, and the vast majority of
ethicists consider it wrong for athletes to use them.

"We would all have to work very hard to make sure that's not the group
that would be targeted for those drugs," he said.

By MATT CRENSON/AP Science Editor
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:43:20 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Laxative causes cancer in rats
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Ingredient in common laxative found to cause cancer in rats

The Associated Press

ROCKVILLE, Md. (April 30, 1997 9:26 p.m. EDT) -- An ingredient used for
more than 90 years in a common laxative causes cancer in laboratory rats
at high doses, according to a study by federal scientists in North
Carolina.

Rats fed high doses of a compound called phenolphthalein, one of the
ingredients in the popular laxative Ex-Lax, developed lymphomas after
six months, according to researchers at the National Toxicology Program
office in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

The doses of phenolphthalein that caused cancer were 30 times higher
than humans would absorb from prescribed doses of the over-the-counter
laxative, according to officials of the Food and Drug Administration.

The report was presented at a meeting of the Carcinogen Assessment
Committee of the FDA. The committee went into executive session,
excluding the public, without taking action.

The group will make a report to another FDA committee which, in turn,
could decide whether the agency will move to restrict or modify the use
of phenolphthalein in laxatives, said Joseph J. DeGeorge of the FDA,
chairman of the committee.

The manufacturer of Ex-Lax said the product has been sold since 1905 and
that the company knows of no health risks from the product when
consumers follow the directions on the package.

"We believe that the dose levels used to test on the rats is very high,"
said Mark B. Gelbert, vice president of Novartis Consumer Health Inc. of
Summit, N.J., which makes Ex-Lax. He said the rats used in the study may
not be a "valid model for determining risks in humans.

"Based on over 90 years of human use, we still believe the drug is
extremely safe," he said.

June K. Dunnick of the Toxicology Program said tumors taken from the
laboratory rats were tested for the presence of a gene called p53 and
that of 21 cancers tested, all lacked that gene. P53 is a cancer
suppressor gene, and it is missing or flawed in many human cancers.

"There was clear evidence of the loss of p53," said Dunnick.

The new study is the second to show that phenolphthalein may pose a
cancer risk. The National Toxicology Program scientists a year ago found
that high doses of the compound fed to rats for two years caused a
variety of tumors -- including lymphomas and cancers of the kidney,
ovary and adrenal gland.

FDA officials at that time asked the toxicologists to conduct more
studies, using lower doses of the chemical.

In the new studies, phenolphthalein was fed to five groups of rats at
doses of 200, 375, 750, 3,000 and 12,000 parts per million for six
months. For comparison, another group of rats received none of the
chemical.

"Thymic lymphoma was significantly increased in groups receiving" the
very highest doses, the toxicologists reported. Changes in tissue, a
condition called hyperplasia that is often a precursor to cancer, were
found in animals getting the 750 ppm dose or higher. There were also
changes found in blood cells, the scientists reported.

Some of the types of cancers found in the first study were not reported
in the latest findings.

DeGeorge said the first effect in the rats was shown in doses that would
be equivalent to about 30 times the normal labeled dose of
phenolphthalein in laxatives.

The committee chairman said it may be several days before his group
reports to the Over The Counter committee of the FDA. It is not known
when that committee might start considering the
issue.

By PAUL RECER, The Associated Press
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:48:22 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: The Anxiety Gene
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Study finds no sign of last year's 'anxiety gene'

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (April 30, 1997 6:56 p.m. EDT) -- It made headlines last year:
Scientists said they'd identified a gene that helps determine how
anxious or laid-back people are. Now another group of scientists says
they found no sign of that effect.

That doesn't necessarily mean last year's study was wrong. It may only
mean the gene affects anxiety traits in some groups but not others, says
one author of the new study, Richard Ebstein of the Sarah Herzog
Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem.

But an author of last year's study says Ebstein's project couldn't have
detected the effect anyway.

It's at least the second time since November that a study proposing a
personality gene has been followed by another that found no evidence.
Last November it happened to Ebstein.

The new study followed up on a report from scientists at the National
Institutes of Health and in Germany.

That report assessed 505 people with two psychological tests. In
addition to those results, researchers used the data to predict how the
subjects would have scored on a third test, which measures an
anxiety-related trait called "harm avoidance."

Across the three measures, a particular variant of the gene showed a
consistent but small effect on a cluster of personality traits that are
related to anxiety, they reported.

The gene plays a role in a brain communication system that uses the
chemical serotonin.

Ebstein and colleagues report in the May issue of the journal Molecular
Psychiatry that they found no effect of the gene variant on the harm
avoidance trait, which they measured directly in 120 men and women.

"Now there is some element of doubt (about the original study) but it
doesn't mean they're wrong,"  Ebstein said in a telephone interview.
Because of differences in genetic backgrounds and environment, the gene
may influence the trait in some groups but not Israelis, he said.

Dean Hamer of the National Cancer Institute, one author of last year's
study, called Ebstein's result meaningless.

The Israelis studied far too few people to detect the small effect on
harm avoidance that last year's study found, he said. Even with the 505
people in last year's study the effect was barely noticeable, Hamer
said.

Ebstein said he didn't check statistically to see if he had enough
people to find an effect of the size reported last year. But his results
didn't even give a hint of one, he said, so he conclude's it's not
there.

Ebstein himself published a study last year that suggested a gene
influenced a trait called novelty-seeking, which includes impulsivity
and excitability. Hamer and NIH colleagues got confirming results.

But 10 months later, another group reported finding no trace of that
effect in two groups of Finns.

-- By MALCOLM RITTER, The Associated Press
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:53:05 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: ... and the heroin addiction gene
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Vulnerability of heroin addiction might be due to gene

The Associated Press

NEW YORK (April 30, 1997 5:14 p.m. EDT) -- Scientists said Wednesday
they have identified a gene that might slightly raise a person's risk of
getting addicted to heroin.

The work is preliminary, but experts said it could be a step toward
giving doctors a way to identify people vulnerable to heroin addiction.
Such people could then be steered into prevention programs.

The gene is the same one that made headlines last year when researchers
linked it to a personality trait called novelty-seeking, which includes
impulsiveness, excitability and extravagance. Not all studies have found
that link.

Drug abusers tend to score high on tests for this trait, which was one
reason researchers decided to see if the gene influences the risk of
heroin addiction.

In fact, the novelty-seeking trait might lead to the addiction risk,
said Richard Ebstein of the Sarah Herzog Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem,
the main author of the new study.

The gene also plays a role in a brain communication system that's
implicated in addiction. Many brain cells communicate with each other by
squirting a substance called dopamine. These brain-cell circuits are
crucial to producing the psychological reward people feel with drugs.

Brain cells receive the dopamine signal on surface structures called
receptors. The gene in the new study tells cells how to make one type of
dopamine receptor.

Ebstein and colleagues focused on one variant of this gene. They found
that 29 percent of a group of Israeli male heroin addicts had this
variant, compared with only 12 percent of a group of nonaddicted Israeli
men.

A statistical analysis found that people with the variant are about 2
1/2 times as likely to become addicted to heroin, the researchers
reported in the May issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

The study involved 141 addicts and 110 men with no history of substance
abuse.

Ebstein said the gene variant is common in the general population, found
in perhaps 30 percent of people in Europe and North America, so it's
obviously not enough to make somebody a heroin addict. But "it gives you
a slightly increased risk."

Scientists need to look more genes that affect a person's vulnerability
to heroin addiction, he said.

Alan Leshner, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, called
the work encouraging but stressed that genes aren't the only reason for
addiction.

By MALCOLM RITTER/AP Science Writer
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:23:19 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Dallas Morning News: Group Protests Aquarium's Dolphin Display Plan(US)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Copyright 1997 The Dallas Morning News
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS  April 28, 1997, Monday, HOME FINAL EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 18A

Group protests aquarium's dolphin display plan -- Owner has pledged that
project would keep animals healthy, provide scientific benefits

BYLINE: Sandy Louey, Staff Writer of The Dallas Morning News

   A dozen members of an animal rights group protested Sunday against the
Dallas World Aquarium's plan to capture four endangered Amazon river dolphins
and put them on display in downtown Dallas.
   Standing outside the private aquarium and restaurant in the West End,
members of the Texas Establishment for Animal Rights held signs such as "West
End is Dolphins' End" and "Leave the Dolphins at Home."
   "It's cruel to capture them in the first place," said Lydia Nichols,
TEAR's director and campaign coordinator.
   U.S. officials are considering whether to grant a permit to let four of
the animals be captured in their native Venezuela and taken to the aquarium.
   Aquarium owner Daryl Richardson was out of town Sunday and could not be
reached for comment.  He has said previously that new approaches would keep
the dolphins happy and healthy and that the project would educate the public
and allow scientists to study the freshwater dolphins in a controlled
environment.
   International groups have criticized Mr. Richardson's plan, saying it
could not be supported on educational, scientific or moral grounds.
   Ms. Nichols said TEAR, based in Dallas, is joining the fight to defeat the
aquarium's permit application, which is pending before the National Marine
Fisheries Service.
   Ms. Nichols said Sunday's hourlong demonstration kicked off the group's
campaign to educate the public about the plan and encourage them to write
letters opposing the dolphin display.
   The protesters on Sunday chanted, "Hey, Richardson, you are callous,
dolphins don't belong in Dallas" and aimed other pointed remarks at the
aquarium owner. They also handed pamphlets to aquarium visitors.
   "He's not going to pay, but the dolphins are," said Ms. Nichols, who said
her group plans more protests.
   The freshwater mammals were a popular attraction in aquariums in the 1960s
but have had a poor record of surviving in captivity.
       According to a federal study, more than 100 of the dolphins have been
brought from South America to other countries for display since 1956.  In the
wild, they live up to 35 years.  But in captivity, the study found, nearly
all died before reaching half that age.
   Only two Amazon river dolphins remain alive in Europe now; the lone
survivor in North America lives in the Pittsburgh Zoo.
   In a previous statement, Mr. Richardson wrote that the dolphins would be
part of a new, 200,000-gallon display called "Orinoco - Secrets of the
River." The Orinoco River lies just north of the Amazon in Venezuela.
   He wrote that the dolphins would be taken from the Orinoco Basin.  The
display would also include toucans, poison dart frogs, crocodiles, anacondas
and numerous mammals from the Orinoco region.

   Protester Shellaine Conant of Dallas said the aquarium wants to use to
dolphins to make money.
   "They don't care about the welfare of the animals," she said.
   Whatever steps the aquarium plans to take with the display, a tank cannot
replace the dolphins' natural habitat, said TEAR member Shaun Cook.
   "Their true habitat is where they are now," the Dallas resident said.
   Some aquarium visitors said Sunday that they had no problems with Mr.
Richardson's bringing the dolphins to Dallas.
   "I'm sure they'll take good care of them," said Ludis Birss of Dallas.
   Scott Sloan of Wylie said he loves visiting the aquarium with his family.
 As for the protesters, he said, "They need to get a life."


Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 08:27:39 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Dole's Dog Bringing Home the Bacon
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(I wan't planning on posting until I saw the last couple lines.)
from AP Wire page:
----------------------------
05/01/1997 03:23 EST

 Dole's Dog Bringing Home the Bacon

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bob Dole's not the only one in the family bringing home
some
 big bucks.

 As the former Kansas senator starts his new job at a Washington law firm, his
 14-year-old schnauzer, Leader, is making some money in the private sector,
too.

 Leader is being paid $5,000 by Ralston Purina Co. to appear on a 1998
calendar of
 celebrity dogs, Dole said Wednesday. Leader sat in on an interview Dole
gave to The
 Associated Press.

 ``He likes everybody. Rub his ears,'' Dole told a guest. ``I think he's
losing his
 strength. But he's all right.''

 The money will be donated to the Washington Humane Society, where Leader was
 adopted.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 08:28:59 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Man Charged for Shooting Squirrel
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from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
 05/01/1997 00:45 EST

 Man Charged for Shooting Squirrel

 EDGEWATER, Fla. (AP) -- A man was charged with cruelty to animals for
allegedly
 shooting a squirrel to death with a bow and arrow after he saw it eating his
 tomatoes, guavas and papayas.

 Sammie Parris, 67, was arrested after a neighbor called police to say he
saw him
 trying to catch the squirrel as it climbed a tree.

 ``The squirrel had an arrow through it,'' the neighbor said in a written
statement.

 Parris said Tuesday his lawyer told him he was within his rights to
destroy the
 squirrel as long as the animal was on his property.

 Lt. Joy Hill of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission said it
isn't illegal
 to destroy a squirrel on private property if the animal is being
destructive. But Robin
 Feger, an Edgewater animal control officer, said Parris was charged
because of the
 cruel way in which the animal was killed.

 Parris, who was arrested Friday, was released after posting $1,000 bond.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 08:48:38 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (TW) Taiwan Pork Industry in Crisis
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from AP Wire page:
----------------------------
05/01/1997 07:33 EST

 Taiwan Pork Industry in Crisis

 By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN
 Associated Press Writer

 TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) -- It's a time of crisis for Taiwan, so it was natural
to see the
 president stepping up to the TV cameras the other day to offer his people
 reassurance.

 He did so by eating a pork knuckle.

 Lee Teng-hui's action was meant to calm a populace in panic over an
outbreak of
 hoof-and-mouth disease that is decimating pig herds and the economy in
general.

 Troops have been mobilized for a mass pig slaughter so horrifying that the
 government asked TV stations not to show footage during mealtimes.

 An ominous byproduct is a rumor pulsing through Taiwan that China
deliberately
 planted diseased pigs on the island to damage its rival's economy. How
else to
 explain a disease that hasn't hit Taiwan for 83 years?

 Such rumors are hardly helpful to an already volatile political
relationship, and the
 government has been quick to clarify that the diseased pigs could have
come from
 anywhere in East Asia.

 Meanwhile, Japan, which buys half of Taiwan's annual $3.2 billion pork
production,
 has halted imports, and officials say the outbreak may shave up to 1.4
percentage
 points from Taiwan's estimated 1997 economic growth rate of 6.2 percent.

 More than 700,000 of Taiwan's 11 million pigs have died of the disease,
and 3.6
 million more are being slaughtered. All but one of Taiwan's counties have
been
 ravaged since the outbreak was detected in mid-March.

 The industry, which employs over 100,000 people directly and untold more
in related
 industries, may take three years to recover, say agriculture officials.

 Hoof-and-mouth disease is characterized by high fever and bleeding
blisters in the
 animals' mouths and feet that prevent them from eating. Humans can carry
the virus,
 but don't develop the sickness.

 Still, not unexpectedly, consumers are repulsed by the idea of putting
diseased meat
 in their mouths.

 The government has sought to boost domestic sales by ordering civil
servants to
 serve pork at official banquets.

 But such gestures, and Lee's televised pork feast, seem to have had limited
 success.

 ``The meat those officials are eating on TV has been rigorously
safety-checked. But
 it's hard to trust what you just buy in the market,'' said one shopper at
Taipei's
 Tungmen market, who wouldn't give her name.

 However, restaurant-goers are back to ordering pork dumplings, wontons and
soup,
 says Tsai Tien-hsiang, owner of a family-run chain of Taipei noodle shops.

 Taiwanese eat nearly 90 pounds of pork a year on average, compared with
less than
 seven pounds of beef, and butchers say prices are stabilizing, if only
because the
 slaughter has left so little pork on the market.

 ``The price is slowly recovering, but the customers still aren't coming,''
says Lin
 Yu-sheng, who runs a pork stall at Tungmen.

 He says he used to sell 80-90 pounds of pork a day, but sells only 10-20
pounds
 now. Pork chops, $3.60 a pound before the disease hit, bottomed out at
less than
 half that, before climbing back to $2.70 a pound, says Lin.

 The government has promised farmers $430 million to ease the blow and finance
 low-interest loans.

 Delays in procuring vaccines may have worsened the crisis. Several
thousand of
 Taiwan's 25,123 pork farms bought smuggled Chinese vaccines, despite doubts
 about their effectiveness, the Agricultural Council says.

 Meanwhile, the Council has been denounced by animal rights groups for
allowing
 pigs to be bludgeoned to death or buried alive.

 Supplies of electric prods are sufficient now, though lack of equipment at
first led to
 some ``undesirable'' practices, says Chen Chung-chang, vice director of the
 Council's Animal Industry Department.

 Buddhist groups have set up altars to appease the spirits of slaughtered
pigs.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 06:44:50 +0000
>From: Lawrence Carter-Long <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Newswire: New AIDS Vaccine Protects Chimps (US)
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Wednesday April 30 1:48 PM EDT

New AIDS Vaccine Protects Chimps

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- For the first time, researchers have protected two chimpanzees from
HIV-infection by using an experimental DNA-based vaccine, according to a new report.

However, much more study is needed to confirm the results and to determine if the vaccine would
be effective in humans, according to the report in the current issue of the journal Nature
Medicine.

"I think this is significant result," said Dr. Alan Schultz, chief of preclinical aids vaccine
development
branch at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in Bethesda, Maryland. "It's
the
first time that DNA alone has been shown to protect a primate, in this case a chimpanzee, from
virus
challenge -- but I think it's a very modest step."

Other vaccines have had similar chimp-protecting results, but did not pan out as a workable
human
vaccine, he noted. DNA-based vaccines are currently being tested for other illnesses as well, such
as hepatitis and influenza.

"We will have to wait to see whether this vaccine will become an HIV-1 vaccine," said senior
investigator Dr. David Weiner in a release from the University of Pennsylvania. "A great deal of
work
remains to be done before we can say that. But these results do give us confidence to go
forward,"
said Weiner, an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

The experimental vaccine contains a circle of DNA, called a plasmid, that carries HIV genes.
Some
cells of the body absorb the plasmid, and the DNA begins to produce HIV proteins -- without any
virus or infectious agent that could wreak havoc with the immune system. The researcher hope
the
foreign proteins will stimulate the immune system to attack and destroy the real virus if exposed.

Two chimpanzees were given the vaccine, one was given the vaccine without any HIV genes and
another received no vaccine at all. Two of the vaccinated chimps were injected with HIV eight
times,
and sensitive blood tests showed very low levels of the virus -- about 50 copies per milliliter of
blood -- 6 to 8 weeks after inoculation. However, later tests showed no signs of the invader. The
chimpanzee without the vaccine, on the other hand, had 10,000 copies of the virus per milliliter of
blood after exposure to HIV.

The research was a done in collaboration with scientists at the University of South Florida in
Tampa,
Coulston Foundation in Alamogordo, New Mexico, Harvard University in Boston and Apollon
Inc.,
in Malvern, Pennsylvania,

Because chimpanzees do not get sick with an AIDS-like illness, it's impossible to tell if the vaccine
would protect against immune dysfunction. And it's not clear if the vaccine protects against other
strains of HIV.

"This is a significant observation, but its not time to start talking about when we should we expect
to
line up for our own vaccination," Schultz said.

SOURCE: Nature Medicine (1997;3:526-530)
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 07:04:52 +0000
>From: Lawrence Carter-Long <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Newswire: Vaccine Prevents AIDS Infection in Chimps (US)
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New Vaccine Prevents AIDS Infection in Chimps

 PHILADELPHIA (Reuter) - Researchers reported Tuesday they had
 successfully vaccinated two chimpanzees against the virus that causes
 AIDS, pointing the way to possible use of the technique in humans.

 The vaccine's effectiveness is unprecedented in a primate species,
 which, like humans, is susceptible to infection with the human
 immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the University of Pennsylvania said. The
 DNA-based technology used to produce the vaccine could also be used in
 fighting other diseases, researchers said.

 Results of the study were published in the May issue of the journal
 Nature Medicine.

 "We were able to protect (against HIV infection), and we were able to
 protect against a signficant dose," lead researcher David Weiner, told
 Reuters by telephone. "While this is encouraging ... how close we are
 really (to a human AIDS vaccine) is going to require work in the
 clinic."

 Referring to the technique in general, he said, "it's likely that DNA
 vaccines will find a place in human diseases."

 In addition, preliminary findings in related research have shown that
 treatment with the vaccine can also reduce the presence of HIV in
 chimpanzees previously infected, Weiner said. He is an associate
 professor in pathology and laboratory medicine at the University.

 The scientists reported that two chimpanzees treated with the vaccine
 were protected against exposure to HIV in quantitities large enough to
 infect 250 animals. The virus succeeded in infecting a control animal,
 which received a similar injection that lacked the vaccine.

The vaccinated chimps were virus-free when checked as long as 48 weeks
after exposure, although each of them briefly tested positive for the
virus within 6-8 weeks after exposure. This is consistent with the way
traditional vaccines work against disease, Weiner said.

 "There was some limited replication (of HIV), but the immune system
 was ultimately able to effectively control that infection," he said.

The vaccine was made through a new DNA-based technique using genes
 that help make up the virus. The genes, representing about 75 percent
of the proteins in the virus from both its outer coat and core, are
"weakened" to block their molecular function and injected into the
body.

 These genes in turn stimulate the both arms of the human immune system
 -- the antibody and "killer T cell" responses -- to attack the virus
 when it invades the body.

Weiner said the DNA technique enables killer T cells to find and
attack viruses inside cells. This is a feature shared with older-style
vaccines using live but weakened viruses.

But unlike live vaccines, the DNA-based vaccines appear to carry no
 risk of reverting to infectious agents, Weiner said. Vaccines based on
dead viruses, while safer to use, are unable to stimulate killer T
cell function.

Studies have suggested that to control HIV infection both components
of the immune system would have to attack the virus, which can
reproduce inside the cell. Vaccine genes do not become a permanent
part of the recipient's genetic makeup.

Rights to the vaccine technology are held by Malvern,
Pennsylvania-based Apollon Inc., a privately held firm, under
stipulations of a grant program funding the research.

Apollon said separately it was conducting clinical studies in humans
with a portion of the vaccine -- that relating to the outer coat of
HIV -- at the University of Pennsylvania and the National Institutes
of Health. The company said it aimed to begin trials of the viral-core
 related component soon.

Apollon president Vincent Zurawski also said the company was testing
the use of the technology in vaccines against herpes simplex virus,
papilloma and hepatitis B and C.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 10:55:16 -0400
>From: Animal Alliance of Canada <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: More info on hiring...
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

I didn't realize that our signature did not appear on my last message
regerding hiring Canadian students for the summer.

Here is how to contact Animal Alliance:

Animal Alliance of Canada
221 Broadview Ave.  Suite 101
Toronto, On  M4M 2G3

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.inforamp.net/~aac
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 10:55:17 -0400
>From: Animal Alliance of Canada <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CA)Compassionate Shopping Guide
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Animal Alliance of Canada has just published our 1997 Compassionate
Shopping Guide.  Copies are free, but keep in mind this Guide covers
companies who's products appear in Canada only.  The list is also available
on our website at: www.inforamp.net/~aac

If anyone wants copes to be distributed, or for personal use please contact
Animal Alliance of Canada at:
221 Broadview Ave.  Suite 101
Toronto,On  M4M 2G3

Phone:  [phone]
Fax:    [phone]
[e-mail]
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 07:51:32 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK, 1997
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>                           THE WHITE HOUSE
>
>                    Office of the Press Secretary
>
>  _______________________________________________________________
>
>  For Immediate Release                            April 19, 1997
>
>
>                     NATIONAL WILDLIFE WEEK, 1997
>
>                            - - - - - - -
>
>           BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
>
>                            A PROCLAMATION
>
>
>       Our Nation is blessed with a wealth of wildlife, wild
>  places, and natural resources that enrich the lives of all
>  Americans.  Conserving our wildlife -- whether antelope or
>  grizzly bear, salmon or serpent, or plumed bird -- is of urgent
>  importance.  Our vast system of wildlife refuges has played a
>  vital role in this endeavor.  Helping to ensure greater harmony
>  between people and nature, more than 92 million acres of land
>  and waters are dedicated to wildlife conservation, encompassing
>  500 refuges, with at least one in every State and within a short
>  drive of most major cities.  These wonderful resources provide
>  opportunities for people of all ages and from all walks of life,
>  and from cities, suburbs, and the rural heartland, to learn
>  about and participate in the effort to preserve the places and
>  wildlife that contribute so much to our Nation's heritage and
>  natural wealth.
>
>       The appreciation and protection of wildlife, particularly
>  of endangered or threatened species, is both the right and
>  responsibility of all Americans.  Indeed, countless individuals
>  and private volunteer organizations across the United States
>  have already made a significant contribution to wildlife
>  protection.  Only by engaging communities in conservation,
>  by taking note of and rewarding community service efforts,
>  and by maintaining diverse approaches to wildlife protection,
>  can we preserve our wildlife today and for future generations.
>
>       We set aside this week to celebrate the role that citizens
>  and private volunteer organizations play in engaging in service
>  activities, and in advancing the knowledge, appreciation, and
>  protection of wildlife and the environment.  Let us also work
>  to spread this message to broader audiences and encourage all
>  individuals and groups to contribute to this national goal.  I
>  urge all Americans, private organizations, businesses, community
>  leaders, elected officials and governmental agencies to do all
>  they can to preserve and value the role of wildlife resources
>  in our lives.  This tradition of nature education will continue
>  to teach our children how to be lifelong stewards of the
>  environment and help to build the knowledge and understanding
>  essential to the protection of nature's abundant gifts.
>
>       NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the
>  United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested
>  in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States,
>  do hereby proclaim April 20 through April 26, 1997, as National
>  Wildlife Week.  I ask all Americans to find ways to promote the
>  conservation and protection of our wildlife and wild places.
>
>       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
>  nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord nineteen
>  hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the
>  United States of America the two hundred and twenty-first.
>
>
>                                     WILLIAM J. CLINTON
>
>
>                                # # #
>
>
>
>
>

Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 12:24:08 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Dolphin emergency
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from private e-mail:
-------------------------------
URGENT ALERT

    The first animal bill of the year is likely to be on the floor of
the U.S. House of Representatives next week, and it's an awful bill.

    Yesterday, the House Ways and Means Committee approved, and sent to
the floor, H.R. 408, the so-called "Dolphin Death bill.  Sponsored by
Rep. Wayne Gilchrest and backed by the infamous Rep. Don Young, the
bill would gut dolphin protection laws to allow Mexican commercial tuna
fishers to market their tuna in the United States as "dolphin safe"
even if dolphins were chased, harassed, encircled with nets, and
injured and killed.

    The animal protection community has been united in opposing this
terrible bill, and we've been joined by Sierra Club, Defenders of
Wildlife, Earth Island Institute, the Teamsters, National Consumers
League, and about 80 other organizations.  Supporting it are the wise
use movement, the tuna boat industry, Mexico and other Latin countries,
and five environmental groups.

    It is critical that readers contact their U.S. Representatives and
urge them to vote "NO" on H.R. 408.  The bill

* lifts the embargo on dolphin deadly tuna.

* gives Mexico and other Latin American countries our "dolphin safe"
label even if dolphins are encircled with nets and harmed and killed.

* dupes consumers.

* caves in to pressure from foreign lobbyists and governments.

    Let me know if you have questions about where your Representative
is on the issue.  You can reach all Congressional offices by calling
the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121.

    Thank you for your help.  Again, this is the first animal bill to
come up in the 105th Congress.  We must kill it.

If you wish, please call your Senators about the Senate companion
bill. S. 39.  Tell them to oppose S. 39.


Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 12:43:45 -0400
>From: "Zoocheck Canada Inc." <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Lecture by Jeffrey M. Masson
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/enriched; charset="us-ascii"

<x-rich>

<bold><underline>When Elephants Weep - A Lecture by Jeffrey M. Masson

</underline></bold>

On Thursday June 5, 1997, at 7.30 pm., Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, author
of the internationally acclaimed book <bold><italic>When Elephants Weep,
The Emotional Lives of Animals</italic></bold>, will present a lecture at
the J.J.R. McLeod Auditorium in Toronto. The event is sponsored by
Zoocheck Canada.


For more information, or to order tickets, please phone [phone]),
fax [phone]) or e-mail Zoocheck.



Zoocheck Canada Inc.

3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1729

Toronto, ON M4N 3P6

[phone]  Ph

[phone]  Fax

E-Mail:  [e-mail]

Web Site:  http://web.idirect.com/~zoocheck

Registered Charity No. 0828459-54
</x-rich>
Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:03:35 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: (SG) Plant hormones offer new hope for menopause
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>The Straits Times

MAY 1 1997

     Plant hormones offer new hope for menopause
     By Lea Wee


     PLANT hormones found in some herbs and soya products seem to
     offer a promising alternative to conventional hormone replacement
     therapy (HRT) for relieving menopausal symptoms such as hot
     flushes and nervousness.

     But the role of these plant hormones, called phytoestrogens, in
     preventing long-term problems like heart disease and osteoporosis
     in menopausal women is still not clear, said Associate Professor
     John Eden from the University of New South Wales, Australia.

     He was speaking at a public forum on Aging Gracefully:
     Alternative Ways to Manage Your Menopause, organised by the
     Obstetrics And Gynaecological Society of Singapore, on Saturday.
     In an interview with The Straits Times, he pointed out that there
     is good evidence -- from about 16 studies done in Germany over 30
     years -- that a herbal supplement, remifemin, helps relieve
     menopausal symptoms.

     Early findings from a Singapore General Hospital study of 23
     women with at least two menopausal symptoms found that after
     three months' of taking the extract made from the rattle weed, a
     flowering shrub found in central North America, the incidence of
     symptoms was halved.

     Some symptoms, such as hot flushes and nervousness, were reduced
     by as much as 60 per cent.

     Prof Eden added that a few uncontrolled studies have also
     suggested that a diet rich in soya products -- such as soya bean
     juice and soya bean curd -- may also reduce the number and
     severity of flushes.

     Phytoestrogens appear to be relatively free of side effects.

     However, HRT, which replaces the female hormone oestrogen, has
     been associated with side effects such as breast pain and the
     resumption of menstrual bleeding.

     There is also a small risk of developing breast cancer.

     Prof Eden added that about half of the 15-20 per cent of
     Australian women who took HRT stopped within six months due to
     these reasons.

     He said: "Some women also feel they should not be taking a drug
     for menopause, which is a natural process of being a woman."

     But phytoestrogens usually take longer to take effect.

     For instance, the full effects of remifemin, which has been sold
     over-the-counter in Singapore since last year, come after about
     three months.

     HRT takes only a month.

     He said: "For women who are having 50 flushes a day, who cannot
     function or sleep, we will still recommend HRT."

     The role of phytoestrogens in preventing long-term problems in
     menopausal women is still not clear, though early findings from
     the SGH study showed that remifemin seems to help prevent bone
     loss.

     Until more studies are done, HRT remains "the gold standard" in
     providing protection for menopausal women against osteoporosis
     and heart disease.

     "But these effects of HRT are usually seen after 20 to 30 years
     and many women simply refuse to be on HRT for so long," said Prof
     Eden.

Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:03:58 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: (TH) Wildlife Centre with Vegetarian Founder
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>Bangkok Post

                                May 1, 1997


            It's a jungle out there

            A wildlife centre in northern Thailand is a haven
            for maltreated beasts and a place where humans can
            learn to love creatures not of their own species

              [Photo] -----------------------------------------
                      Talk to the animals: Visitors are
            introduced to Teddy, a three-year-old Asian black
            bear who was bought as a pet and then dumped when
            he grew too big.

            Story and pictures by Rachel Flower
            ----------------------------------------------------

                  Southeast Asia is blessed with some of
                  the most spectacular vegetation and
                  wildlife in the world. However if
                  present trends continue, this
                  luxuriant natural resource could soon
                  be little more than a beautiful
                  memory.

                  Much of the region's rare and exotic
                  wildlife is falling prey to the most
                  brutal of predators: illegal poachers.
                  The market is huge and lucrative as
                  customers are willing to pay
                  handsomely for the prestige of owning
                  a gibbon, a bear or even a tiger,
                  knowing nothing of the cruelty of
                  their capture, nor how to feed and
                  handle such creatures. Many animals
                  are also destined for the cooking pot,
                  particularly black bears whose paws
                  are considered a delicacy in parts of
                  Asia.

                  A few determined individuals have
                  dedicated their lives to alerting the
                  public to the plight of the region's
                  endangered species. One such person is
                  Marianne Willemse, founder of Chiang
                  Mai's animal haven and Interspecies
                  Communication Centre in Thailand.
                  Located 20 kilometres from the city,
                  the centre cares for maltreated and
                  unwanted wild animals.

                  Her "family" includes several gibbons
                  (rescued from markets), monkeys, civet
                  cats, leopards, birds and an
                  impressive three-year-old Asian black
                  bear called Teddy.

                  "Teddy is one of the lucky ones," says
                  Marianne, explaining how he was bought
                  as a pet and then dumped when he
                  became too "active". In other words,
                  the owner became scared of the growing
                  bear and his growing teeth, as is so
                  often the case.

                  Many bear cubs are smuggled into
                  Thailand from Burma, Laos and Cambodia
                  (their mothers often having been
                  killed) and sold as pets. But as they
                  grow, they become very powerful and
                  dangerous to handle. The food bill
                  also becomes enormous and many owners
                  cannot afford to build cages big
                  enough to house the animals.

                  So invariably, the bear ends up in a
                  tiny cage in the corner of a garden
                  somewhere. Owners may consider
                  donating them to temples, thinking
                  they will make merit and get rid of
                  the unwanted pet at the same time.

                  But often, the monks don't want the
                  bears either and keep them because
                  they don't know what else to do.
                  Again, the bears are often kept in
                  cruelly small cages.

                  "But these are the more fortunate
                  ones," says Marianne, and tells the
                  horrific tale of the many bear
                  restaurants in Asia and how the paws
                  are sought after to satisfy the exotic
                  tastes of their customers,
                  particularly in Korea and Taiwan.

                  ---------------------------------------
                    [Photo]
                  The welcoming committee: A flock of
                  geese patrol the grounds of the
                  Interspecies Communication Centre.

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

                  "Sometimes the paws are even cut off
                  or cooked while the animal is still
                  alive," she adds. "Believe me, the
                  paws are much better left on the
                  bear."

                  Thai authorities are beginning to
                  clamp down and several seizures of
                  bears and bear carcasses have been
                  made, but the trade continues to
                  thrive.

                  Every plant and animal has a role to
                  play in the maintenance of a healthy
                  ecosystem, says Marianne, and she
                  explains the valuable work that bears
                  do, describing them as "nature's
                  gardeners".

                  They remove pests and fungus from tree
                  bark ensuring a longer life for the
                  tree. They also germinate and spread
                  the seeds of certain trees by eating
                  the fruits and passing the seeds. Many
                  of these plants would otherwise be
                  unable to propagate.

                  Many of the animals in Marianne's care
                  have been given to her by Forestry
                  Department officials after being
                  confiscated from poachers seeking to
                  supply the illegal market in exotic
                  pets. Elmo is one such case.

                  This adorable young gibbon clings to
                  Marianne as she speaks. Seeing his
                  expressive features and endearing need
                  for contact, it is easy to understand
                  why so many people wish to possess
                  such a loving pet. The truth about
                  their capture, however, is far from
                  lovely.

                  "See this," says Marianne holding out
                  the ape's one-fingered hand. "They cut
                  off the other fingers to separate him
                  from his mother."

                  Marianne goes on to tell how, in order
                  to catch a baby gibbon, the mother has
                  to be shot. She falls to the ground
                  with the baby, if still alive,
                  clinging to her. Sometimes the baby
                  clings so tightly that the only way
                  the poachers can get it off is to
                  sever its fingers.

                  "Many of our rescued gibbons have
                  fingers missing," says Marianne.
                  "These animals will never be able to
                  swing in the trees."

                  The survival rate for baby gibbons
                  living in captivity as pets is
                  extremely low - perhaps one in twenty
                  sold in markets survive the first
                  year. Nevertheless, illegal hunting of
                  the creatures has reached dangerous
                  levels in rainforests throughout
                  Southeast Asia, pushing gibbons closer
                  to extinction.

                  Deforestation is also threatening
                  their survival. Being almost solely
                  tree dwellers (some gibbons never
                  touch the ground) they rely on a thick
                  forest canopy for their movement and
                  nourishment. The canopy acts as a lid,
                  keeping in moisture and trapped rain
                  water for drinking, and supporting a
                  host of insects which form part of the
                  gibbons' diet.

                  Even a single road running through
                  gibbon territory can devastate their
                  environment for it breaks the canopy
                  and limits their movements.

                  Another threatened species is the
                  swallow, whose nests are a prized
                  delicacy for many a Chinese palate.
                  Poachers scale the walls of the caves,
                  take the nests and throw any eggs or
                  young chicks to the ground to die.

                  Tigers in the wild are all but extinct
                  in this part of the world. And again,
                  this has much to do with the exotic
                  tastes of those who fall under the
                  illusion that certain tiger parts will
                  make them healthier and stronger, or
                  those who simply want an unusual pet.

                  Marianne recently helped relocate two
                  Siberian tigers which had been housed
                  for years in a tiny filthy pit in
                  northern Thailand. Six by four metres
                  and full of faeces, the pit had never
                  been cleaned, the owners being too
                  scared to let the tigers out.

                  Countless wild animals such as these
                  have been relocated or adopted by the
                  Interspecies Communication Centre in
                  the five years it has been in
                  operation. Marianne hopes that with
                  the expansion of the centre's work,
                  not only can more animals be saved,
                  but the cruel practice of poaching
                  could one day be stopped altogether.

                  Unfortunately, most of the animals she
                  has rescued will never again know life
                  in the wild, having already lost their
                  ability to forage for themselves and
                  be productive members of the forest
                  community.

                  "Each animal has a job," says
                  Marianne, "So it's important for them
                  all to be there in the forest. When
                  people take them out, it disturbs a
                  fine balance that nature has
                  perfected. Whatever we do in one place
                  affects another place, and so we must
                  learn to understand the diversity and
                  interconnectedness of life."

                  She hopes one day that the centre will
                  be a halfway house for the offspring
                  of captured animals, but such plans
                  remain on hold for the time being as
                  Marianne focuses her energy on
                  educational projects.

                  Raising community awareness of the
                  cruel practices of poachers is an
                  important part of reducing the demand
                  for exotic pets, she says. Illegal
                  poaching will continue as long as
                  there are customers willing to pay
                  large sums of money, so the centre
                  aims to inform people of how the
                  animals are captured.

                  And the animals themselves are great
                  teachers - ambassadors for their
                  companions in the wild. The many
                  children who frequent the centre
                  certainly seem to be getting the point
                  and are helping spread the message.

                  Close contact with these tame wild
                  animals helps them to feel closer to
                  nature and learn to love and respect
                  their environment.

                  "We get to feed them, touch them, love
                  them," says 13-year-old Patisha who
                  comes to the centre every week. "Plus
                  a free lice check from Elmo!"

                  The children enjoy the many activities
                  on offer which includes art, singing
                  and sleepovers where they get to wake
                  up to the sounds of nature.

                  Now in the process of constructing an
                  art sala at the centre, Marianne plans
                  to start a cottage industry making
                  decorative animal shapes from recycled
                  rubbish.

                  "So many animals have suffered to
                  produce these products," says
                  Marianne, referring to the animal
                  testing carried out by many
                  manufacturers, "So I want to make them
                  useful."

                  She also prints endangered species
                  T-shirts and cards for sale at the
                  centre, and spends much of her time
                  preparing for presentations she is
                  invited to give to various groups
                  around Chiang Mai.

                  As well as raising public awareness of
                  illegal poaching through her
                  presentations, she takes the
                  opportunity to promote vegetarianism
                  as a way to reduce cruelty to animals.
                  "Do you know your role on the planet?"
                  asks Marianne at a public talk. "It's
                  definitely not to be a carnivore," and
                  she cites meat eating as one of the
                  reasons there is a food shortage in
                  the world.

                  Large areas of rainforest are cleared
                  to make pasture for beef cattle, and
                  as the big fastfood chains get a
                  foothold in the Asian market, the
                  future looks grim for the forest and
                  its wildlife.

                  "Did you know that five square metres
                  of cleared rainforest equals a 100
                  gramme beef burger," she tells the
                  audience.

                  "Animals are my friends. I don't eat
                  my friends," says Marianne, and animal
                  friendship is the feeling you get in
                  the extensive grounds of the
                  Interspecies Communication Centre.

                  This is a place where gibbons talk to
                  cats, geese to dogs, and bears to
                  monkeys. And no one here will think
                  you're mad if you talk to the animals
                  too.

                  In fact, the staff at the centre
                  encourage visitors to listen to the
                  animals. And just maybe, if their
                  message is heard by enough people, the
                  wild creatures could be assured of a
                  bright future under a thick forest
                  canopy stretching for miles in all
                  directions.

Article copyright Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd 1997
Reprinted for non-commercial use only.
Website: http://www.bangkokpost.net



Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:04:07 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (JP) Osaka cat thieves nabbed red-handed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>Asahi Shimbun
April 30, 1997

NATIONAL: Osaka cat thieves nabbed red-handed


OSAKA--Cat protection group members turned over two cat snatchers to Osaka
police Tuesday morning after nabbing them near their truck with
cat-catching traps in hand, police said.

The members found 30 other boxes inside the truck, releasing 12 cats found
there, police said.

Two of the cats took to their heels when the boxes were opened but the
remaining 10 were taken to a veterinary hospital in Kobe.

One of the cats was wearing a collar bearing the telephone number of its
owner and was returned to its home in Osaka's Nishi Ward later the same
day, they said.

The two captured feline nabbers told investigators they intended to sell
the cats to samisen manufacturers. Samisen are Japanese traditional
stringed instruments which use cat skins in their construction.

The cat protection group in Kobe said it first received a call from a woman
in Osaka's Naniwa Ward in the early hours of Tuesday morning saying there
was a trap on the first floor of her apartment building containing a cat.

Six members hurried to the site and caught the two men when they came to
collect the box at around 5:20 a.m., the group members said.

The group pointed out that cats are often caught in and around Osaka and
then sold to samisen manufacturers or to laboratories for animal
experiments.

Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 01:04:15 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Global warming, city sprawl breeding new diseases
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"



>DAWN
27 April 1997


             Global warming, city sprawl breeding new diseases
                              By Chris Mihill


LONDON: Global warming and the rapid growth of megacities around the world
are breeding new diseases as well as bringing back infections once thought
to have been conquered, an international specialist warned on Thursday.

Doctors and public health specialists now needed the help of experts in
ecology, veterinary science, meteorology, agriculture and forestry to try
to spot where the next threat to health would emerge, said Paul Epstein, of
the Centre for Health and the Global Environment, at Harvard Medical School
in the United States.

Periods of transition, particularly the growth of huge new cities lacking
sanitation, opened the way for pests carrying viruses and bacteria to
proliferate, said Dr Epstein. This had been true of the Justinian plague of
AD 541, of the Black Death in 1346, and of the 19th century epidemics of
tuberculosis, smallpox and cholera ù and was true now.

Dr Epstein told an international conference on new and resurgent infections
at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine there was growing
evidence that climate change and population growth were interacting to
damage natural biological defence mechanisms and thus to threaten human
health.

As an example, algal blooms of plankton, the huge growth of which were
turning seas red or brown, had recently been found to be carriers of
cholera. Outbreaks of the disease had followed the growth of algal blooms
off Bangladesh. The plankton had passed directly into river water used for
drinking, but the cholera could also be passed by eating fish or shellfish.

Dr Epstein said that within months of plankton blooms being seen in the
Black Sea near the Crimea, there had been a cholera outbreak in Moscow.

It was possible the plankton also acted as a marine reservoir of salmonella
and shigella, which could cause food poisoning and dysentery. One cause of
algal blooms was the use of fertilizers in farming.ùDawn/The Guardian News
Service

Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 13:07:50 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Oklahoma City's Spay/Neuter Drive
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


In 1915 the American Humane Association established the
first national week for animals -- "Be Kind to Animals Week".
Recognized officially by the 103rd Congress, it is now the oldest
week of its kind in the nation.

On May 4 thru the 10th, animal agencies throught this country
will continue to honor BKAW's 82 year-old message of being
kind to animals.  Volunteers for Animal Welfare, Inc. (VAW)
will celebrate this week by sponsoring its annual reduced-cost
spay and neuter progrsm , "Operation Fix-it".

"Operation Fix-it" will kick off on May 4th and end on May 31st.
Pet owners can call VAW's spay and neuter hotline at
[phone] to receive the list of eleven participating veterinary
clinics and hospitals located through out the Oklahoma City
Metro area.

VAW strongly believes that spaying and neutering is truly one
of the kindest acts a pet owner can do for their pets.  The
only alternative to pet birth control is the mass destruction of
millions of unwanted surplus pets.  This is not only costly to
the taxpayer but repulsive to all of us who care.  Spaying and
neutering also has several health benefits for pets and enhances
their contentment.  If pet owners already have their pets
neutered, VAW challenges them to celebrate "Be Kind to
Animals Week" by offering to spay or neuter a pet belonging to
others such as your friends, neighbors, relatives, and senior
citizens.

                                                  For the Animals,

                                                  Jana, OKC
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 13:32:49 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Bruner withdraws candidacy from Florida Game Commission
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Glee over Joe Bruner's demise on the Fla. Game and Freshwater Fish Commission
is a bit presumptuous at this point, regrettably.  According to news accounts
and the HSUS, whose Ken Johnson has done a laudatory job on the matter since
Bruner's name first arose, Bruner's "withdrawal" was merely from the
confirmation hearings.

When asked if he was RESIGNING his post, appointed by coonskin cap wearin'
Governor Chiles, he refused to answer the question definitively.  His
withdrawal from the confirmation proceedings means nothing.  The full senate
will not vote this year on whether to confirm him, and he can remain in his
"acting commissioner" post until the senate holds hearings next spring.

There is a possibility, of course, that he will resign.  We can only hope
that will be the case.

Charlene Inglis
I CARE
P.O. Box 279
Osprey (Sarasota), Florida 34229
941/966-4075
FAX [phone]
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 11:55:17 -0600 (MDT)
>From: [e-mail] (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Paul Watson Faces New Charges
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

This news story is from the Environment News Service:
http://www.envirolink.org/environews/ens/
---

WATSON FACES NEW CHARGES

MARINA DEL REY, California, Apr. 30, 1997 (ENS) - The Norwegian government
has filed new charges against Sea Shepherd founder Paul Watson in addition
to the demand for his extradition to Norway from the Netherlands. Watson is
being held in Lelystad Penitentiary awaiting an extradition hearing. His
application for bail was denied. The case will be heard on May 26 at the
Haarlem Court.

Norway wants Watson extradited to serve a sentence of 120 days in jail
imposed when he was tried "in absentia," that is while he was not present.
The case involved the scuttling of a Norwegian whaling ship at port in the
Lofoten Islands in 1992.

Three additional charges have now been filed by the Norwegian government.
They all relate to the 1994 encounter between the Sea Shepherd vessel,
Whales Forever, and the Norwegian Coast Guard ship, the Andenes.

The Norwegians allege, "...that the Whales Forever has navigated in such a
manner that another ship has been damaged or has been endangered."

Norway has charged Watson with, "...violation of the regulations regarding
the entry to Norwegian territory in peacetime of alien and non-military
ships;" and,  "...violation of the regulations regarding distress-signals
and other emergency-signals."

Watson maintains that the Norwegian Coast Guard vessel rammed his unarmed
ship. At least 10 journalists were aboard the Whales Forever, and Watson
claims that their video footage will show that the Norwegian ship was the
one at fault in the incident. The Sea Shepherd says these journalists are
willing to testify in court in Watson's defence. The Norwegians also have
video of the incident showing the Sea Shepherd ship to be at fault which is
often shown on Norwegian TV. Sea Shepherd claims the Norwegian video is
heavily edited.

The Sea Shepherd position is that Watson is being held responsible for the
actions of the Norwegian government, embarrassed at the failure to take him
into custody when the Coast Guard ship confronted Whales Forever in
international waters off their coast.

Just where the incident occurred is at issue. The Norwegians charge it took
place in Norwegian waters, while the Sea Shepherd statements consistently
say Whales Forever never entered Norwegian waters.

In prison Watson views this as a critical time to focus attention on
Norway's continued "illegal" whaling activities. He uses the word "illegal"
not with regard to Norwegian laws, but in terms of the International
Whaling Commission (IWC). Norway is not a member of the IWC, which has
imposed a global ban on commercial whaling since 1986.

Watson, an early Greenpeace organizer in Vancouver, British Columbia in
1971, has actively opposed Norway's commercial whaling operations since
1992. Widely distributed photographs of him from 1976 show him as a
Greenpeacer confronting Russian whaling vessels in a small inflatable raft,
the first action of this now popular type of protest.

Watson is a Canadian citizen whose past marine mammal protection campaigns
include seal hunt protests off the coast of Newfoundland in the 1970s and
early 1980s during which he popularized the spraying of baby whitecoat
seals with green paint to make their pelts worthless. He takes credit for
the sinking of Spanish and Portugese whalers, has fought to save dolphins
in Japan, the Caribbean, and the United States, and has worked against
driftnet fishing in all the oceans of the world. He ran for mayor of
Vancouver last year, but lost to the incumbent.

Watson was arrested by Dutch authorities at Schiphol Airport April 2 on an
Interpol warrant from Norway. He had been released after a hearing by
German authorities on the same warrant three days earlier. Watson was
arrested March 31 by the Germans in the port of Bremerhaven while
supervising the transfer of the newest Sea Shepherd vessel in preparation
for a campaign against drift netting in the Mediterranean.

The Sea Shepherd home office in Marina del Rey has mounted an international
campaign to pressure the Dutch government to release Watson. His wife and
the organization's International Director Lisa Distefano fears that he will
not get a fair trial in Norway, and that he will be killed in a Norwegian
prison. "Paul has received specific death threats from Norwegians for
years," says Distefano. "If Paul is imprisoned in Norway, we know he'll
never leave alive."

Watson supporters have been demonstrating in various places around the the
world since he was jailed. On April 16 A demonstration was held at both The
Ministry of Justice and the Norwegian Consulate, The Hague.

In Montreal on April 15 a demonstration took place at the Dutch consulate.
That day in Los Angeles a stellar group of Hollywood notables held a news
conference in Watson's support.

On April 14 in Stockholm a group demonstrated at the Dutch Embassy. In
Toronto, on the 14th, more than 100 demonstrators gathered at Toronto
Ryerson Rink, and took part in a protest march. On April 5 Toronto Police
sealed off a downtown city block where 100 demonstrators chanted "Free Paul
Watson!"

On April 10 in New York Watson supporters walked from the Dutch Consulate
to the Norwegian Consulate.

Norwegian newspapers report that in the event of Watson's extradition, the
Norwegian military will seek compensation for the damages caused
to the Coast Guard cutter Andenes in the collision with Sea Shepherd's
Whales Forever. Johan Wroldsen, chief of the legal office of the military
high command, estimates damages at 1 million kroner, including interest.

---
The EnviroNews Service              | E-Mail: [e-mail]
A Project of the EnviroLink Network | Phone : [phone]
General Info: [e-mail]   | Fax   : [phone]

To un/subscribe, send an e-mail message to: [e-mail]  with
the word: HELP as the body of the message, and then follow the directions.



Lawrence Carter-Long

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

"Nothing is given to humanity, and the little we can conquer is paid for
with unjust deaths, but humanity's greatness lies elsewhere.  It lies in
our decision to be stronger than our condition, and if our condition is
unjust we have only one way of overcoming it, which is to be just
ourselves."  --  Albert Camus, 1944.


Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 11:58:11 -0600 (MDT)
>From: [e-mail] (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: "Gift" of Rhinos To London Zoo Challenged
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

This news story is from the Environment News Service:
http://www.envirolink.org/environews/ens/
---

"GIFT" OF RHINOS TO LONDON ZOO CHALLENGED

By Deepak Gajurel

KATHMANDU, Nepal, Apr. 28, 1997 (ENS) - Conservationists and environmental
journalists in Nepal are furious when over the capture last week of two
one-horned rhinos to send to London Zoo as "gift."

One male and one female rhinoceros were trapped Thursday by the officials
of two organizations: the Department of National Parks and Wildlife
Conservation (DNPWC), a government department, and the King Mahendra Trust
for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), a government-run group. The wild rhinos
were captured in Royal Chitwan National Park, on Nepal's southern plains,
bordering India.

Nepal is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES), which requires a clear and transparent policy for the
transfer of any endangered wild animal for scientific research. Nepal does
not have any policy in this regard. "If Nepali government wants to 'gift'
the rhinos out to London Zoo for research, there must be a clear policy
under the provisions of CITES. Handing over of rhinos without having any
policy is a violation of CITES," says journalist Gopal Guragain, a
specialist in wildlife issues.

Guragain suspects that the endangered and precious wild animals are
actually being sold, although the transfer is being called a gift. "If the
government is giving rhinos legally and with the CITES norms, why are all
things done secretly?" Guragain questions.

London Zoo's pursuit of the rhinoceroses started in 1993 when the Zoo sent a
letter to Forest Ministry asking for two females. There was an attempt to
transfer two rhinos to London Zoo last year in the same manner. But a
strong protest from the press and wildlife conservation experts succeeded
in aborting the government's attempt.

A 1994 count revealed that there are about 460 one-horned rhinos in
different national parks and wildlife reserves in Nepal.

Upon learning of the trapping of the two rhinos in the national park, a
delegation of experts and journalists from Nepal Forum of Environmental
Journalists (NEFEJ) met with the Minister for Environment and Population
Bidhya Devi Bhandari and demanded that the trapped rhinos be released into
the wild immediately.

The delegation urged the minister to formulate appropriate policy in
accordance with the guidelines of CITES before sending any endangered
species to any foreign country. "The minister has assured us that she will
promptly take necessary action in this matter," NEFEJ president Murari
Shivakoti said.

But the situation became more complex with diplomatic pressure from a
friendly but powerful nation, the United Kingdom, applied to the government
of a poorer nation, Nepal, to go against the norms of conservation.

The Nepali Minister for Forests, Rameshwor Raya Yadav, made a decision
late Sunday night to sent the rhinos to London when the British embassy
in Kathmandu exerted pressure on Nepal government to 'make necessary
arrangements to board the endangered rhinos Lufthansa flight on Monday,
April 28.

In an attempt to put pressure on both governments, activists protested
Sunday before the British Embassy in Kathmandu and Lufthansa Airlines'
Kathmandu office. The protest banner said, "Don't Cheat our Conservation;
Don't Steal Our Rhinos; Think Twice, London."

The protesters were not successful in stopping the transfer. The rhinos
were flown Monday to London. The animals were handed over to the London
Zoological Society official by Yadav.

Conservationists are now demanding a transparent policy on the practice of
gifting rhinos. They argue that, on the one hand, no comprehensive studies
have been carried out to ascertain whether the rhino population has reached
a sustainable level in the country, while on the other hand, they allege,
hefty under the table payments are being made in exchange for the
endangered animals.

This one-horned species of rhino is found only in Nepal and in India. Their
habitat is on the borderline between Nepal and India. The rhinos frequently
move across the Nepali-Indian border. Nepali conservationists suggest that
Indian conservationists too have to come forward to prevent such transfers
of endangered and preserved animals.

Twenty-five one-horned rhinos from Nepal have been gifted to different
countries so far. Nine of them were sent after the restoration of democracy
in 1990.

---
The EnviroNews Service              | E-Mail: [e-mail]
A Project of the EnviroLink Network | Phone : [phone]
General Info: [e-mail]   | Fax   : [phone]

To un/subscribe, send an e-mail message to: [e-mail]  with
the word: HELP as the body of the message, and then follow the directions.


Lawrence Carter-Long

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

"Nothing is given to humanity, and the little we can conquer is paid for
with unjust deaths, but humanity's greatness lies elsewhere.  It lies in
our decision to be stronger than our condition, and if our condition is
unjust we have only one way of overcoming it, which is to be just
ourselves."  --  Albert Camus, 1944.


Date: Thu, 1 May 97 13:17:05 UTC
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: New police unit
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Tulsa, OK (USA) has a new police unit specifically for animal abuse cases.
Formerly, these cases were handled by homicide - which means they got tossed
aside, usually.  The policeman who was interviewed said they were educated
to the fact that stopping animal abuse stops human abuse in the long run.
So far, they've gotten 300 calls for the new unit! They plan on going out on
every single abuse call. This is wonderful news!

-- Sherrill
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 13:48:01 -0500 (CDT)
>From: Suzanne Roy <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Protest Iowa Deer Kill
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

CONTACT:  Gretchen Hersman, 319/643-2175

IOWA SET TO APPROVE KILLING DEER WITH PISTOLS

In Iowa, the Legislature approved a bill (59-33) allowing a pistol season
for deer hunters.  Supporters of the bill claim it will give hunters another
opportunity to enjuoy the outdoors and might help thin the state of Iowa's
large deer herd.

Critics of the bill said legislators were allowing pistol-packing hunters
loose in the woods and warned of the dangers of stray bullets.  One
suggested that legislators were so eager to kil deer that the next step
would be a season "for heat-seeking missiles!"

ATTEMPTING TO KILL DEER IN SUCH A MANNER WITH PISTOLS WILL CAUSE
UNTOLD PAIN
AND SUFFERING FOR THE MANY DEER WHO WILL SUFFER AGONIZING DEATHS
MUCH LATER
AS A RESULT OF BEING WOUNDED.

STATUS OF THE BILL:  The Governor has been out of town and has not signed
this bill as of yet.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

PLEASE CALL THE GOVERNOR TERRY BRANSTAD'S OFFICE AT 1-515-281-5211 OR
SEND
EMAIL TO:  [e-mail], and ask that he veto this legislation.
At this time, we do not know how Gov. Branstad feels about this bill.


Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 16:18:11 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Swedish Attacks Against Mink Farms
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

We received a communique from Sweden informing us of the following actions.

On April 18th the Wild Minks raided a farm in Eksjo.  The targetted farm is
well known for being a top breeder.  46 breeder males were released into the
wild.  All of the breeding cards (300) were stolen and a feeding machine was
totally destroyed.  All sorts of paperwork was stolen as well., slogans were
painted, and holes were cut in the fence.  Traps used to capture escapee mink
were smashed.

That same night a leather shop in Nassjo was attacked. 3 windows were
smashed, slogans were painted, black paint was poured all over the store, and
excrement from a fur farm were smeared over the windows that weren't broken.

On April 19 another mink farm in Eksjo was raided.  50 mink were released,
and the fence was cut open.

These actions follow previously reported attacks by the Wild Minks and the
ALF since the beginning of 1997.    So far 5 farms have been hit with live
liberations and arson attacks on processing buildings.  The Wild Minks claim
that they will fight until the last fur farm is destroyed.
Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 18:18:03 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US)APHIS Press Release Genetically Engineered Organisms Press
  Release Reissued
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from USDA:
-------------------
                                   Jim Rogers       [phone]
                                             [e-mail]
                                   Jerry Redding  [phone]
                                                     [e-mail]


USDA AMENDS REGULATIONS FOR GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
ORGANISMS

     WASHINGTON, May 1, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is
amending its regulations pertaining to genetically engineered plants
introduced under USDA's notification and petition regulatory processes.

     "The amendment will simplify procedures for the introduction of
certain genetically engineered organisms, expedite review for certain
determinations of nonregulated status, and adjust procedures for the
reporting of field tests conducted under notification to the biology of the
test organisms," said John Payne, director for biotechnology and
scientific services with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a
part of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs mission area.

     Developing and commercializing new genetically engineered plant
varieties most often involves field testing under APHIS oversight,
followed by submission of a petition for determination of nonregulated
status by the agency.

     APHIS grants nonregulated status to a new plant variety when it
determines that the new variety has no potential to pose a plant pest risk
and is as safe to grow as any other variety of the same plant.

     The amended regulations will allow a broader application of existing
simplified procedures for requests for movement or field testing of
genetically engineered plants.  They will also streamline the determination
of nonregulated status for plant varieties that closely resemble other
varieties that have already been through the determination process.  This
will enable APHIS, when appropriate, to extend the existing determination
of nonregulated status for new products that do not raise new risk
issues.

     For plants that are being evaluated in field tests, reporting
requirements have been made more consistent.  For example, for trees
and other long lived plants field data reports will only need to be provided
upon the conclusion of the trial.  However, applicants must apply to
APHIS for yearly renewal to ensure appropriate measures are taken
when plants become reproductively mature.

     APHIS will also use appropriate guidelines to provide additional
information to developers of regulated articles and other interested
persons regarding procedures, methods, scientific principles, and other
factors that could be considered for various aspects of its regulations.
The first guidelines will provide information to help applicants on requests
for xtension of a determination of nonregulated status.

     Payne added that USDA has the responsibility to ensure that, in
releasing any bioengineered plant, no plant pest risk is presented.  APHIS
reviewers focus on the biology, propagation, and cultivation of the plant.
The reviewers also consider the source of the engineered genes, the
vector sed to transfer them, and the stability of the insertion.

     The original final rule which was printed in the April 24, Federal
Register was retracted April 25, a month before it would have gone into
effect.  This final rule supersedes the previous one issued.

     For further information on the regulatory changes, contact John
Payne, director, biotechnology and scientific services, 4700 River Road,
Unit 98, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1237; [phone].  For technical
information, contact Michael Schechtman, biotechnology and scientific
services, plant protection and quarantine, Unit 146, Riverdale, Md.
20737-1237, [phone].

     Notice of this action is scheduled for publication in the May 2 Federal
Register and becomes effective June 2.

                                #

NOTE:  USDA news releases, program announcements, and media
advisories are available on the Internet.  Access the APHIS Home Page
by pointing your Web browser to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov and clicking on "APHIS Press Releases."
Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press
releases automatically.  Send an e-mail message to
[e-mail]
and leave the subject blank.  In the message, type
subscribe press_releases


Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:27:31 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NASA pulls out of Russian space monkey research
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

.c The Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA is pulling out of Russian space monkey
research following an investigation into the death of an animal that flew in
space four months ago, officials said Tuesday.

The rhesus monkey died in January after postflight surgery to collect samples
of bone and muscle cells.

Although the other monkey on the two-week spaceflight survived the operation,
an independent review board found an unexpected mortality risk associated
with anesthesia for bone and muscle biopsies upon return to Earth.

NASA said it has determined the risk is unacceptable and discontinued its
participation in monkey experiments on the next Bion mission, scheduled for
1998.

The two monkeys were launched Dec. 24 from Russia. They had restraining rings
screwed into their skulls and electrodes embedded in their muscles as part of
the biomedical tests.

NASA had targeted about $35 million for the two monkey missions, intended to
shed light on the debilitating side effects of space travel.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which had protested NASA's
involvement in the monkey missions, was thrilled with Tuesday's news.

``Our point was always that it's far too dangerous, much too painful for the
monkeys to endure,'' said Mary Beth Sweetland, director of research and
investigations for PETA.

AP-NY-04-22-97 2243EDT

 Copyright 1997 The Associated Press.  The information  contained in the AP
news report may not be published,  broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without  prior written authority of The Associated Press.



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:27:41 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Gelatin not free of Mad Cow Disease - US FDA panel
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Robert Rohwer, a researcher at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in
Baltimore, told the committee that if there is a risk of BSE transmission, it
would not be the same for every foodstuff or product that uses gelatin. He
said the risk seemed highest for products that are injected or applied to the
skin, as opposed to eaten.

((Washington commodities desk, 202 898 8467))

23:33 04-24-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:46 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Advisory MHWU Local 420 to Boycott McDonald's
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

News Editors
ADVISORY...for Tuesday (April 22)
--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
-0-  WHEN:  Tuesday, April 22
12 noon
WHERE: (in front of) Elmhurst Hospital
79-01 Broadway
Elmhurst, Queens

WHAT:  Municipal Hospital Workers Union, Local 420, DC 37, AFSCME is
 continuing its efforts to stop plans by Elmhurst Hospital to contract  out
the employee cafeteria to McDonald's by announcing a boycott and  planned
demonstration for Tuesday.  The union and community  supporters claim that
McDonald's, famous for its fatty, cholesterol  packed foods has no place in a
hospital.  Employees should be  entitled to more nutritional choices of food,
not food like the kind  McDonald's sells that can lead to poor diets and
health. -0-

--30--jc/ny   MEM

CONTACT: Local 420 AFSCME, New York

Rosia Blackwell-Lawrence, 212/860-1580

fax: [phone]

KEYWORD: NEW YORK

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: MEDICINE RESTAURANTS ADVISORY REPEATS: New York
212-752-9600 or 800-221-2462; Boston 617-236-4266 or

800-225-2030; SF 415-986-4422 or 800-227-0845; LA 310-820-9473

Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet

with Hyperlinks to your home page.

URL: http://www.businesswire.com

BW1345  APR 21,1997



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:50 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Kuwait kills cow & 8 calves
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

KUWAIT (Reuter) - Kuwait has killed and burned a cow imported from the
Netherlands and eight calves suspected of infection with mad cow disease,
newspapers reported Sunday.

``On April 16 the suspected cow and the eight calves were burned,'' the Arab
Times quoted an official as saying. One of the calves was the offspring of
the imported cow.

``Just one infected cow was tracked in Kuwait...The suspected cow was
exported to a Kuwaiti farm from Holland in November 1996,'' the
English-language daily added.

Kuwait and the five other Gulf Arab states last July kept their ban on
imports of British beef and beef products as part of measures to combat the
spread of mad cow disease -- bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). REUTER

10:11 04-27-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:51 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Are dogs susceptible to "Mad Cow" disease?
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

By Maggie Fox

LONDON (Reuter) - The British government said  Monday its scientists have
found dogs were susceptible to mad cow disease but denied it covered up the
findings, which a spokeswoman described as ``insignificant.''

Scientists critical of the way the government had handled the mad cow crisis
accused it of deliberately hiding the study and said it was important for
understanding mad cow disease.

The debate over the dog study worsens the crisis over bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease), already the cause of tension between
the government and the European Union.

The Independent newspaper reported that government veterinarians had studied
the brains of 444 hunting hounds in 1991 and found they could be infected
with BSE.

Doctors believe cattle got BSE from feed made using the ground-up remains of
sheep infected with scrapie, their own version of the brain-destroying
illness. Dogs would presumably get it from dog food that used infected beef
products.

A spokeswoman for the Agriculture Ministry confirmed the Independent report
but said there were ``no ethical grounds'' to research the matter further.

``It is unnecessary in terms of human health and in terms of animal health,''
she said.

Last year British scientists said they had found a new variant of the human
version of the disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and said it probably
came from eating infected beef.

The European Union immediately banned the export of all British beef
products.

Microbiologist Richard Lacey, who has been critical of the government's
handling of the BSE epidemic in cattle, said the research on dogs could be
important.

``Whenever you get a disease of this sort it takes on the properties of the
host it's in. It's possible dogs develop a disease of this sort that, because
it is in a new host, is slightly different,'' Lacey said in a telephone
interview.

``The more we know about it the better.''

Lacey accused the government of deliberately hiding its findings. ``It's part
of a cover-up. They've only published the minimum they had to on BSE
throughout in order to produce as little as possible for people to worry
about.''

Other animals are known to get spongelike brain diseases from infected beef
-- including cats. Antelope, mink, ostriches and a range of other animals
have also developed their own versions of the deadly brain-wasting disease.

10:18 04-28-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:36:54 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Cattle feed demand fluctuates with BSE concerns
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

CHICAGO, April 16 (Reuter) - Local and state health officials in Indiana said
they were unaware of a report that an Indiana farmer had died of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human version of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease.

A wire service report on Wednesday attributed the death on Tuesday of a rose
farmer, Joseph Gabor, 62, of Schererville, to BSE. Schererville is about 10
miles south of Hammond, Ind.

A spokesman for the Indiana Department of Health in Indianapolis said the
department was unaware of the report. The Lake County coroner's office, which
covers Schererville, also said it had no information about the report.

Both offices said they would check the report.

Cattle and grain futures prices fell sharply in morning trading as talk of
the possible BSE death spread in the markets on concerns that consumer fears
could cut beef consumption and cattle feed demand.

18:12 04-16-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 19:44:46 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: CDC says CJD deaths rare, not tied to BSE
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

ATLANTA, April 16 (Reuter) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) said Wednesday that deaths from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
(CJD) were very rare in the United States and are not known to be linked to
"mad cow" disease.

Asked about press reports that a 62-year-old Indiana man had died of CJD,
which has been called the human version of "mad cow" disease, CDC spokesman
Tom Skinner said about 200 people die from the disease in the United States
each year but the variant of CJD linked to "mad cow" had not been found.

"If this person died of CJD, it is a rare instance but not unknown," Skinner
said.

"We have not seen the new variant form of CJD" linked to "mad cow" by reports
last year from Britain, he said.

Mad cow disease, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), sparked a
consumer panic when a new strain of CJD in Britain was linked to BSE in
British cattle.

No case of BSE has ever been detected in the United States cattle herd,
Skinner said.

((Atlanta bureau, 404 870 7340))

21:21 04-16-97



Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 14:41:20 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail]
Subject: TX Alert: Ban Ownership of Dangerous Wild Animals
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

TEXAS ACTION ALERT

SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO BAN THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF DANGEROUS WILD
ANIMALS

Animals need your immediate help on two companion bills in the Texas
Legislature which will prohibit PRIVATE OWNERSHIP of certain dangerous
animals such as lions, tigers, cougars, wolves, coyotes, and non-human primates.

Senate Bill 1235 was introduced by Senator Mike Moncrief of Fort Worth, and
House Bill 1828 was introduced by Representative Toby Goodman of Arlington.
The current laws regulating the ownership of dangerous wild animals will
expire on September 1, 1997. If this legislation is not enacted there will
be no laws to regulate the ownership of dangerous wild animals in Texas.

The animals regulated by this legislation are wild by nature and not "pets."
Besides being cruel to keep wild animals in seedy roadside attractions or to
shoot captive animals released for "canned hunts," these animals pose a
threat to the safety and well-being of people when kept in captivity. The
proposed legislation allows for exemptions for legitimate animal
sanctuaries, zoos, state and federal agencies, and animal control authorities.

WHO SUPPORTS THESE BILLS? The Fund for Animals, The Humane Society of the
United States, Texas Humane Legislative Network, Texas Animal Control
Association, Texas Federation of Humane Societies, and Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department.

WHO OPPOSES THIS LEGISLATION? Trophy hunters, roadside zoo operators, and
exotic animal breeders. The very industries that profit from the sale and
exploitation of animals are flooding the Capitol with calls and letters
trying to defeat this legislation.

PLEASE CALL OR WRITE BOTH YOUR TEXAS STATE SENATOR AND YOUR TEXAS
STATE
REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT SB 1235 AND HB 1828. If
you do
not know who your State Senator and State Representative are, you can call
your local County Clerk's office or the local chapter of the League of Women
Voters.

Write to your State Senator at:

The Honorable __________
Texas Senate
PO Box 12068 - Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711

Write to your State Representative at:

The Honorable __________
Texas House of Representatives
PO Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768-2910

Thank you for your help!

Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 19:43:09 -0700 (PDT)
>From: [e-mail] (pawsinfo)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Whale killing vessel torched
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


Forwarded message:

>Norway: Whaling Vessel "Senet" Torched
>
> (1 May 1997): The combined fishing and whaling vessel "Senet" was set on
>fire in the early hours of Wednesday April 30. The police believe they are
>dealing with an act of arson as the vessel was burning in several different
>places and a petrol can was found nearby, reports the Norwegian radio
>station P4 on April 30. The "Senet" has previously been targeted by
>activists from Sea Shepherd and Greenpeace.
>
>The fire brigade was quick to gain control of the fire, which was reported
>to the police at 5.45 a.m.. At present, the extent of the damage is not
>known. A person, representing a group calling itself "Agenda21"[most likely
>referring to the World Charter for Nature, Section 21 & 24 sic], has claimed
>responsibility for the fire. The  "Senet" is a 56 foot long haling vessel,
>and was moored at Slevikkilen on the island of Ons°y just off the town of
>Fredrikstad.
>
>Michael Kundu





Bob Chorush  Web Administrator, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
15305 44th Ave West (P.O. Box 1037)Lynnwood, WA 98046 [phone] ext
862, [phone] fax
email [e-mail]      http://www.paws.org

Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:06:51 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Police nab runaway emu after highway chase
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
---------------------------------
                     Police nab runaway emu after highway chase

                     May 1, 1997
                     Web posted at: 10:33 p.m. EDT (0233 GMT)

                     DURHAM, North Carolina (CNN) -- Animal control
                     officers spent two days chasing an emu through
                     woods and traffic before catching the animal
                     Wednesday.

                     The emu, a flightless bird that looks like a small
                     ostrich, seemed unharmed by its ordeal Wednesday
                     night. Authorities didn't know who owned the
                     unusual bird.

                     It was spotted Tuesday afternoon and then again
                     Wednesday afternoon in Durham, said Durham County
                     Sheriff's Deputy W.M. Oakley III. Animal control
                     officers chased the five-foot bird into the woods
                     to keep him safe from traffic, he said.

                     But startled motorists on U.S. 70 spotted the bird
                     again during evening rush hour. The bird rescuers
                     finally caught their quarry when the emu hesitated
                     before crossing a creek.

                     They placed a specially designed emu collar around
                     the bird's neck, and took it to a Durham home
                     where other emus are being raised.

                     The docile animals are native to Australia and are
                     raised in the United States for meat.

Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:24 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: 9% rise 1st Qtr for Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

PORTLAND, Ore., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Wholesome & Hearty Foods, Inc.
(Nasdaq: WHFI) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended
March 31, 1997, showing a 9% increase in net sales over the same period in
fiscal 1996.  The Company also reported a net loss for the period which was
in
line with its operating plan and analysts' estimates.

For the first quarter ended March 31, 1997 net sales increased 9% to
$10,010,000 from $9,164,000 for the first quarter of fiscal 1996.  This also
represented a $2 million increase in sales from the fourth quarter of 1996,
the largest sequential quarterly sales increase in the Company's history.
 The
gross profit percentage in the first quarter of 1997 was approximately 48%
compared to a gross profit percentage in the first quarter of 1996 of 49%.
Selling and marketing expenses in the first quarter of 1997 were
$4.4 million, or 44% of net sales, compared to selling and marketing expenses
in the first quarter of 1996 of $2.9 million, or 32% of net sales.  The
increase was due to the Company's investment in sales and marketing
activities
during the first quarter of 1997 associated with its planned national
roll-out
in the retail grocery channel.  General and administrative expenses in the
first quarter of 1997 were $1.1 million, or 11% of net sales, compared to
general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of 1996 of
$1 million, or 11% of sales.  The slight increase was due to additional
management personnel and costs.

The Company incurred a net loss for the first quarter of 1997 of
($355,000), versus $58,000 in net income in the same period last year.  The
net loss per share was ($.04) per share in the first quarter of 1997, down
from net income per share of  $.01 in the first quarter of 1996.  The net
loss
in the first quarter of 1997 occurred due to the investment in sales and
marketing expenses to achieve retail grocery distribution, and was in line
with the Company's 1997 operating plan and communications with investors.

"We are encouraged by the increase in our sales from the fourth quarter of
1996 and are also encouraged by the enthusiastic reception Gardenburger(R)
has
received from grocery retailers around the country," said Lyle G. Hubbard,
chief executive officer.  "By today's date we have been authorized for sale
in
retail grocery stores that account for over 80% of all grocery sales in the
United States.  However, this is just the beginning as we intend to invest
aggressively in terms of advertising and promotion support so that
Gardenburger(R) achieves the same targeted success in grocery stores as it
has
demonstrated as the number one selling veggie patty in the food service and
club store channels.  Over the next several years we intend to make
Gardenburger(R) the recognized brand of choice for consumers in their rapidly
growing demand for great tasting, convenient, meatless foods."

Founded in 1985 by GardenChef Paul Wenner, Wholesome & Hearty Foods is an
innovator in meatless, low-fat food products.  The Company distributes it's
flagship Gardenburger(R) and other GardenProducts(R) to more than 30,000 food
service outlets throughout the U.S., Canada and abroad.  Retail customers
include more than 10,000 grocery and specialty food stores and more than
4,000 natural food stores.  Based in Portland, Oregon, the Company currently
employs more than 160 people.

This press release includes forward looking statements.  These statements
are necessarily subject to risk and uncertainty.  Actual results could differ
materially from those projected in these forward-looking statements as a
result of certain risk factors set forth in the Company's SEC Form 10-K
statement dated December 31, 1996 and Annual Report dated December 31, 1996.
These risk factors include, but are not limited to, the Company's reliance on
product acceptance, the Company's ability to execute on its retail
distribution plans, the effectiveness of the Company's sales and marketing
efforts and intense competition in the meatless food products industry which
the Company believes will increase.

WHOLESOME & HEARTY FOODS, INC.

First Quarter Ended

March 31, 1997   March 31, 1996

Net Sales                                    $10,010,000    $ 9,164,000

Net income (loss)                            $  (355,000)   $    58,000

Net income (loss) per share                  $      (.04)   $       .01

Weighted Average Shares Outstanding            8,566,456      8,894,408

WHOLESOME & HEARTY FOODS, INC. BALANCE SHEET
(Unaudited)

March 31,      December 31,
 1997            1996
(Unaudited)

Assets

Current Assets:

Cash and cash equivalents                $ 4,019,000    $ 7,755,000

Accounts receivable, net of allowances     3,944,000      2,800,000

Inventories, net                           5,427,000      4,790,000

Prepaid expenses                             827,000        378,000

Income taxes receivable                      823,000        653,000

Deferred income tax benefit                  470,000        470,000

Total Current Assets                  15,510,000     16,846,000

Property, Plant and Equipment, net of

accumulated depreciation                      7,774,000      6,814,000

Other Assets, net of accumulated amortization  1,237,000      1,274,000

Total Assets                         $24,521,000    $24,934,000

Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity

Current Liabilities:

Accounts payable                         $ 1,978,000    $ 2,173,000

Payroll and related liabilities payable      435,000        458,000

Accrued employee bonuses                     309,000        221,000

Accrued relocation                            59,000        178,000

Accrued brokers' commissions                 272,000        199,000

Other current liabilities                    345,000        224,000

Total Current Liabilities              3,398,000      3,453,000

Deferred Income Tax Liability                    502,000        502,000

Commitments and Contingencies                         --             --

Shareholders' Equity:

Preferred Stock, no par value, 5,000,000

shares authorized; none issued                   --             --

Series A Junior Participating Preferred Stock,

no par value, 250,000 shares authorized;

none issued                                     --             --

Common Stock, no par value, 25,000,000 shares

authorized; shares issued and outstanding:

8,566,456 and 8,566,456                  8,468,000      8,468,000

Additional paid-in capital                 4,139,000      4,139,000

Retained earnings                          8,014,000      8,372,000

Total Shareholders' Equity             20,621,000     20,979,000

Total Liabilities and Shareholders'

Equity                               $24,521,000    $24,934,000

WHOLESOME & HEARTY FOODS, INC.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)

Three months ended March 31,
1997            1996

Net sales                                    $10,010,000    $ 9,164,000

Cost of goods sold                             5,188,000      4,641,000

Gross margin                                   4,822,000      4,523,000

Operating expenses:

Sales and marketing                        4,369,000      2,933,000

General and administrative                 1,114,000      1,000,000

Acquired in-process research &
development                                      --        612,000

5,483,000      4,545,000

Operating income (loss)                         (661,000)       (22,000

Other income (expense):

Interest income                               67,000        113,000

Other, net                                    (4,000)        (1,000

63,000        112,000

Income (loss) before provision for
(benefit from) income taxes                    (598,000)        90,000

Provision for (benefit from) income taxes       (243,000)        32,000

Net income (loss)                            $  (355,000)    $   58,000

Net income (loss) per share                  $     (0.04)    $     0.01

Shares used in per share calculations          8,566,456      8,894,408

SOURCE  Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.
CO:  Wholesome & Hearty Foods Inc.
ST:  Oregon
IN:  FOD
SU:  ERN
04/15/97 16:17 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:51 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: FWD: Calcium from Dairy Foods thought to reduce female kidney
  stone risk
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

WASHINGTON--(BW HealthWire)--April 11, 1997--In the ongoing  debate on the
value of dairy products vs. calcium supplements as a  source of minerals,
there is good news for dairy.  A new study  suggests that women who rely on
low fat milk and other dairy foods  for their calcium may be at lower risk of
developing kidney stones.   The study published in the Annals of Internal
Medicine found that a  high intake of milk and milk products, the major
source of dietary  calcium, significantly decreased the risk for kidney
stones among  women with no prior history of stones.  No reduction in risk
was  observed in those relying on calcium supplements.

In the past, patients at risk for kidney stones were often  advised to limit
their intake of calcium.  In recent years, however,  research has indicated
that low-calcium intake may increase the risk  of kidney stones in healthy
individuals.  A low-calcium diet also  increases the risk for osteoporosis,
particularly among women.

"The findings reinforce the value of getting your nutrients  through food,"
said Fredric L. Coe, M.D., from the University of  Chicago Medical School,
who wrote an accompanying editorial urging  physicians to drop dietary
calcium restriction from their list of  preventive and therapeutic measures
for patients at risk for kidney  stones.  "And the implications are
critically important today when  you consider the widespread calcium
deficiencies in the country,  which has created a whole generation of young
women at increased risk for osteoporosis," he said.

To meet current calcium requirements (1,000 milligrams/day as set by the
National Institutes of Health), at least three servings of  milk or milk
products are recommended daily.  According to the most  recent government
statistics, nearly 9 out of 10 women fail to meet  these calcium
recommendations.  But even with this shortfall,  experts point to the
nutritional advantages of closing the calcium  gap with food instead of
pills.

While the new study did not determine the reason for the reported reduction
in the risk of kidney stones observed, the researchers  suggest that it may
be linked to a reduction in the absorption of  oxalate (calcium oxalate
stones are the most common) that occurs when calcium is consumed as part of a
food, hypothesizing that calcium  consumed without food may not have the same
effect.

This is the second study in recent months pointing to the  benefits of milk
and milk products vs. calcium supplements.  A study published in the October
issue of the American Journal of Clinical  Nutrition found that women who
relied on skim milk as their calcium  source significantly improved not only
their intake of calcium, but  of the many other nutrients including protein,
phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, riboflavin, thiamin and zinc.  In contrast,
women who  relied on calcium supplements increased only their intakes of
calcium and sodium.

The most recent study concerning the risk of developing kidney  stones,
conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical  School, Harvard
School of Public Health and Massachusetts General  Hospital, analyzed the
diets of more than 91,000 women participating  in the Nurses' Health Study.
 The women were aged 34 to 59 years of  age with no prior history of kidney
stones.   -0-
   Source:  Curhan, Gary C., et al.:  Comparison of dietary calcium  with
supplemental calcium and other nutrients as factors affecting  the risk for
kidney stones in women.  Annals of Internal Medicine,  Vol. 126, No. 7, April
1, 1997.

CONTACT:

Bozell Public Relations

Janet Helm, 312/988-2343

Rachel Greene, 312/988-2325

KEYWORD:  DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ILLINOIS MASSACHUSETTS

INDUSTRY KEYWORD:  MEDICINE FOODS/BEVERAGES PUBLISHING EDUCATION



BW1032  APR 11,1997



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:56 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: FWD: consumer promotion features Martha Stewart
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

WASHINGTON--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--April 9, 1997--
Mooove over Spike Lee and Tyra Banks,
culinary expert and lifestyle authority Martha Stewart is the latest
to show off a milk mustache as she  helps introduce a new program
called Make It Better With Milk.  In  addition to a new milk mustache ad,
Stewart lends her expertise to  the program by sharing tips on how to
enhance food's flavor and  nutritional value by substituting milk for water.

The ad pictures Stewart with a bovine friend and the copy reads:

"Three words.  Just add milk.  It's a good thing.  Whenever  appropriate,
substitute milk for water in your recipes.  The milk  enhances the dish, and
the calcium and other nutrients enhance you.   Next time, how to remove
spots from your coat.  No offense."

New Promotion Helps Make It Even Better With Milk

The ad is just one element of a larger consumer promotion that  showcases
products that can be made better with milk.  Make It  Better With Milk
partners include:  Nabisco Biscuit Co.,  Hershey's Syrup, Slim Fast, Idaho(R)
Potato Commission,  General Mills, Maxwell House(R), Nestle, Red Rose Tea,
Drake's Cakes  and Lance Crackers.

A free-standing insert (FSI) is scheduled to appear in  newspapers nationwide
on Sunday, April 27.  The FSI will feature a  milk-mustachioed Cheryl Tiegs
and offer consumers savings incentives  as they make their favorite foods
better with milk.  Tiegs' likeness  will also appear on displays, banners and
other point-of-sale items  in grocery stores across the country.  Plus, the
June newsstand  issue of Better Homes & Gardens will offer readers a free
32-page  recipe book filled with tips on finding more ways to include milk in
 their daily diets.

More From Martha

A consumer booklet featuring recipes and tips on how to enhance  a recipe
with more flavor and nutrients by using milk in surprising  ways was created
by Stewart and other culinary professionals and is  also available to
consumers.

The free booklet, which consumers can order by calling the  1-800-WHY-MILK
hotline or visiting the Web site at  http://www.whymilk.com/, offers such
helpful tips as:

- Cook ears of corn in milk for more flavor

- Make a fat free shake by blending fat free skim milk, your
favorite fruit and ice cubes

- Melt chocolate and fat free skim milk in a fondue pot for dipping
fruit

Why Milk?

Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be missing from  the average
adult's diet.  The Make It Better With Milk program is  designed to get more
of this important nutrient into the diet by  combining milk with favorite
foods and recipes.  The National  Institutes of Health recommends 1,000 mg of
calcium per day for most  adults, the equivalent of about three 8-oz. glasses
of milk a day.   Milk contains other important nutrients in addition to
calcium,  including vitamins A, B-12, and D as well as potassium, phosphorus,
 protein, niacin and riboflavin.  A cup here and half a cup there  adds up;
making the simple switch to milk from water in favorite  foods is an easy way
to help get three a day.

Stewart's milk mustache advertisement debuts on April 13 in  Parade magazine.
The advertisement will appear in more than  10 major consumer magazines in
May. -0-

The "Milk, Where's Your Mustache?" campaign was developed under  the guidance
of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board,  an organization funded
by U.S. milk processors.  This multi-faceted  education program was initiated
to change attitudes and correct  misconceptions about milk and increase milk
consumption.

CONTACT:

Bozell Worldwide, Chicago

Ilene Siemer, 312/988-2306

Londonne Corder, 312/988-2357

KEYWORD:  ILLINOIS

INDUSTRY KEYWORD:  PHOTO PHOTOWIRE ENTERTAINMENT MEDICINE

OODS/BEVERAGES SUPERMARKETS PUBLISHING EDUCATION

PHOTO:  0409bw1



BW1021  APR 09,1997



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:21:58 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: European Parliament BSE monitoring reforms
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT NEWS REPORT PRESS RELEASE

DOCUMENT DATE: APRIL 24, 1997
MONITORING REFORMS AFTER THE BSE CRISIS

The temporary committee to monitor action taken on Parliament's
recommendations on BSE held its constituent meeting in Brussels on 24 April
and elected its bureau: Dagmar ROTH-BEHRENDT (PES, D), chairman, and Giacomo
SANTINI (UFE, I) and Salvador JOVE PERES (EUL, E), vice-chairmen. The former
chairman of the committee of inquiry, Reimer BOGE (EPP, D) was appointed
rapporteur.

Mrs ROTH-BEHRENDT said the new committee's task was to follow up the
recommendations made by the committee of inquiry and Parliament. It was not a
duplicate committee of inquiry. This committee would investigate how far the
Commission and Council implemented the recommendations, from a legislative,
staffing and organizational point of view, and would highlight any omissions.


The temporary committee will meet in Strasbourg on Monday 12 May.

Further information: Etienne BASSOT - Tel [phone]
 END OF DOCUMENT

09:58 04-25-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:30 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: man charged for shooting squirrel who ate open plants
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

.c The Associated Press

EDGEWATER, Fla. (AP) - A man was charged with cruelty to animals for
allegedly shooting a squirrel to death with a bow and arrow after he saw it
eating his tomatoes, guavas and papayas.

Sammie Parris, 67, was arrested after a neighbor called police to say he saw
him trying to catch the squirrel as it climbed a tree.

``The squirrel had an arrow through it,'' the neighbor said in a written
statement.

Parris said Tuesday his lawyer told him he was within his rights to destroy
the squirrel as long as the animal was on his property.

Lt. Joy Hill of the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission said it
isn't illegal to destroy a squirrel on private property if the animal is
being destructive. But Robin Feger, an Edgewater animal control officer, said
Parris was charged because of the cruel way in which the animal was killed.

Parris, who was arrested Friday, was released after posting $1,000 bond.

AP-NY-05-01-97 0045EDT

 Copyright 1997 The Associated Press.  The information  contained in the AP
news report may not be published,  broadcast, rewritten or otherwise
distributed without  prior written authority of The Associated Press.



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:32 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: milk promotion really hot stuff, say milk promoters (FWD)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

CHICAGO--(BW SportsWire)--Dec. 18, 1996--Amy Van Dyken, who
captured world attention by winning four gold medals in the 1996
Olympics takes the plunge by becoming the newest athlete to appear
in a milk mustache ad.

This ad is the latest in a series of milk mustache ads shot by
famed photographer Annie Leibovitz, who captured Van Dyken in an
underwater pose.  Van Dyken's ad touts milk as having everything she
needs to be a winner.

      In addition to the back stroke and the butterfly, I
      can perform a world-class chug-a-lug.  With milk.  It
      has protein for my muscles, plus essential vitamins
      and minerals like calcium and potassium.  All of which
      help me get the one mineral every Olympian craves.  Gold.

Milk Drought

Although Van Dyken realizes the importance of milk as part of a
balanced diet, nine out of ten women in the United States fail to
meet calcium requirements of 1,000 mg per day (according to the
National Institutes of Health), or at least three 8-ounce glasses of
milk a day.

"We chose Amy Van Dyken because we want women who are physically
active to know that milk is an important part of an athlete's diet,"
says Kurt Graetzer, executive director of the Milk Processor
Education Program.  "With Amy, we hope to get the message across
that the calcium and eight other essential nutrients in milk are
critical to good health."

Van Dyken's ad will appear in more than a dozen January issue
magazines.

The "Milk, Where's Your Mustache?" campaign was developed under
the guidance of the National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board,
an organization funded by U.S. milk processors.  This multi-faceted
education program was initiated to change attitudes and correct
misconceptions about milk and increase milk consumption.  A series
of education booklets are available free by calling 1-800-WHY-MILK
or by visiting the new milk Web site at http://www.whymilk.com/ .

CONTACT: Bozell Public Relations
         Gayle Glickman, 312/988-2302
         Rebekah White, 312/988-2176


st 12-18-96 17:16 et



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:45 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: SEAC confirms calves get BSE from mothers
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

By Maggie Fox     LONDON, April 18 (Reuter) - Britain's main advisory
committee on mad cow disease confirmed on Friday there is evidence cows can
pass on the illness to their calves "at a low level" but said they still did
not know how.

The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) said in its final
report to the health and agriculture ministries that it was likely fewer than
10 percent of infected cows passed mad cow disease to their calves. The
committee, made up of scientists, doctors, veterinarians and other experts,
said in its preliminary report last year there could be a 10 percent
transmission rate of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)

The final report, published on Friday, confirms this but the scientists said
they did not know what the route of transmission might be.

They said last year it was almost certainly not milk as the 600 calves in the
seven-year study did not get their mothers' milk. The milk is reserved for
human consumption.

The committee said this low rate of transmission was not enough to sustain
the BSE epidemic in British herds. Other studies indicate BSE should die out
naturally by 2001.

The EU slapped a global ban on the export of British beef products last year
after scientists revealed a new variant of the human version of BSE --
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) -- might have been caused by eating infected
beef.

British scientists say BSE was almost certainly caused by giving cows feed
containing the remains of sheep that had been infected with scrapie, a
related disease. Britain banned using such feed in 1989 but the government
said contaminated feed was used after this date.

Peter Smith of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, a member
of SEAC, said some of the calves in the study were probably infected this
way.

"It is likely that the calves in the cohort were exposed to infected feed,"
he told Reuters in a telephone interview. "Even after the feed ban we now
know there was infected feed getting out to farms."

Smith said the committee thought it possible a combination of maternal
transmission and an inherited susceptibility to infected feed were both at
work in the calves. It is known that a genetic mutation makes cows
susceptible to BSE.

The committee urged more research into just how mothers might be passing the
disease on to their calves. "There has been extensive testing of the
transmissibility of blood and indeed of milk," he said.

Neither had been found to be infectious. "That doesn't rule out very low
levels of infectivity that just haven't been detected," he added.

The agriculture ministry said in a statement that it considered milk safe and
said measures now in place to ensure beef was safe were sufficient.

Agriculture Minister Douglas Hogg said he had written to European Union
agriculture commissioners about the report.

"There are no recommendations for urgent action," he said, adding that it
would be left until after the national election on May 1 for any decision to
be made.

Since 1986, about 178,000 BSE cases have been confirmed in the European Union
and Switzerland. Nearly all were in Britain.

Britain has slaughtered 1.3 million older cattle since April 1996 and has
started to cull 100,000 more animals believed to be most at risk of
developing BSE.



12:35 04-18-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:47 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Transfer of rare rhinos from Nepal to UK slowed from BSE
  concerns
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

KATMANDU, Nepal (Reuter) - Two single-horned rhinoceroses will be flown next
week to Britain from Nepal where wildlife experts hope the rare beasts will
breed in captivity, authorities said Wednesday.

The two female calves of 14 and 16 months are part of a global conservation
drive for breeding the endangered species in captivity at the Whipsnade Wild
Animal Park near London. The park already has seven rhinos of the same
species.

The one-horned Asian rhino is found only in the swampy grasslands of India
and Nepal. Nepali wildlife experts captured the two rhinos in March in the
Royal Chitaun National Park, about 60 miles south of Kathmandu.

Last year the Nepali government decided to donate two rhinos to the
Zoological Society of London. But the transfer was delayed due to concern in
Britain over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.

Beef exports from Britain were banned by the European Union in March last
year after the brain-wasting bovine disease was linked to the human
equivalent, Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD).

Wildlife experts said the rhinos had been in quarantine since being captured.
British officials said the animals would be transferred to London next
Monday.

12:38 04-23-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:22:48 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: US FDA says bone meal not infective for BSE
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

WASHINGTON, April 16 (Reuter) - A spokesman for the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that the agency did not believe
bone meal was an agent for spreading bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

"We have no evidence to believe bone meal is infective and we believe it is
not," the spokesman said.

He said the agency was aware of reports that an Indiana rose farmer may have
died of a human version of BSE. His widow speculated in one report that the
illness could have been linked to his use of fertilizer containing bone meal.

Tests were under way to determine the type of disease suffered by the farmer
and its cause, the FDA spokesman said.

22:03 04-16-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:08 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: EU offers food safety guides
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

(Adds quotes, details, background)

By Peter Blackburn     BRUSSELS, April 30 (Reuter) - The European Union
launched its food safety "bible" on Wednesday, pledging to protect the
"salad, steak and chips" with better food inspection and to put expert
reports on the Internet.

The plans, announced by the EU's new food safety chief Emma Bonino, are a
fresh attempt to reassure consumers shaken by the crisis over beef infected
with mad cow disease.

They include a proposal to hire another 263 food safety inspectors and other
experts.

"We want to give a new boost to food safety and (protection of) consumer
health," Bonino told a news conference.

The EU intends taking a "plough to plate" approach to ensure the entire food
chain is covered and although it will carry out formal audits to assess
national control schemes, Bonino sought to play down fears of excessive
interference.

"This is not going to be a health police," she said.

The shake-up fulfils a pledge by Commission President Jacques Santer to the
European Parliament in February after the assembly came out with a damning
report on the EU's handling of the crisis caused by bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease.

The promise helped persuade the parliament to delay until November a decision
on a motion to censure the Commission.

Bonino said that with greater resources the Commission could have dealt more
quickly and effectively with BSE.

She said she hoped EU governments and the European Parliament would agree the
money for the extra staff. "I hope and I will do my best to get it," she
said.

Bonino is due to appear before a parliamentary committee monitoring the
Commission's efforts to improve food safety in Strasbourg on May 14.

Member states will continue to be responsible for food hygiene controls which
will be coordinated by the EU's Food and Veterinary Office being set up in
Ireland, Bonino said.

Bonino said scientific advisers will have to declare their independence from
national or industrial interests and their advice, including minority
opinions, would be published on the Internet.

One of the underlying principles of the new approach was to separate
responsibility for food legislation from food safety controls and scientific
advice.

The new approach strips powers from Farm Commissioner Franz Fischler and
Industry Commissioner Martin Bangemann who on Wednesday separately launched a
debate on European food law.

"European food law...is very broad in structure and has become somewhat
cloudy and has shown some weaknesses," Bangemann told a news conference,
referring to food standards, controls and labelling.

Fundamental questions were whether the same rules should apply to fresh farm
products and processed food.

"We want a clearer link between the two," he said, asking whether a general
framework was needed or specific rules for each foodstuff.

Fischler said that if consumer protection was to be taken seriously there
must be a consistent policy from the "plough to the plate."

"When people sit down at the table we have to have standard protection for
the salad, steak and chips," he said.



15:46 04-30-97





Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:20 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: European Commission asked to back formal gelatin ban
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

BRUSSELS, April 23 (Reuter) - The European Commisison will be asked on April
30 to back a formal legal ban on British exports of gelatine made from
domestic cattle, said spokesman Filippo di Robilant.

A proposal could then be sent to the EU's Standing Veterinary Committee and
if it gives its backing the Commission could then take a final decision but
this could take weeks or months, he added.

Commissioner Emma Bonino, who is responsible for food safety, is pressing for
a ban following recent advice from the EU's multi-disciplinary food safety
committee.

``The committee unanimously supported a recommendation two weeks ago that
British gelatine manufacturers cannot meet the heat treatment and other
conditions designed to ensure that mad cow disease is not transmitted in
gelatine,'' di Robilant said.

The committee recommended that the present de-facto ban should be replaced by
a de-jure ban ending the possibility of any British-sourced gelatine exports,
he added.

``Commissioner Bonino is anxious that the scientific advice should be
respected and she will be recommending that the Commission should support a
legal ban when it is considered at the end of the month,'' he said.

The EU imposed a worldwide ban on British exports of beef and beef products
in March 1996 after London disclosed that that mad cow disease, known
medically as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), could be passed to
humans.

But in June 1996 the European Commission controversially eased the ban on
exports of British gelatine, provided stricter processing rules were
respected.

Despite easing the ban, the Commission has not alllowed any exports of
British gelatine because British manufacturers have not fulfilled the
stringent preconditions.

A legal ban on gelatine made from domestic materials would not end the
practice by British manufacturers of importing raw materials for the
manufacture of gelatine for export, Robilant confirmed.

``British manufacturers have not asked for a lifting of the present ban,'' he
said

08:46 04-23-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:22 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: National Cattlemen's Beef Assn statement about BSE
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by the
National Cattlemen's Beef Association:

Concern has been expressed about recent news reports that a man in Indiana,
described as a "rose farmer," had died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).
 Since CJD strikes one out of every million Americans each year, this is not
an unusual event.

Please note the following facts:

* Eleven years of aggressive surveillance for Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) by USDA has documented that BSE does not exist in the
United States.  An aggressive 1989 ban on imports of ruminants and ruminant
products from any countries where BSE has been found has effectively
prevented the introduction of the disease in this country.

* CJD is not related to the cattle disease BSE.  A very different form of
human brain disease (called new variant CJD) has been diagnosed in England
and is thought by some to be related to consumption of cattle products
containing brain or spinal tissue from BSE-infected animals.  The infectious
agent that causes BSE is not found in meat and milk.  The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported there have been no cases of new
variant CJD in the U.S.

* CJD occurs at a consistent rate of one case per million population per year
worldwide, including in nations where BSE has never been found and among meat
eaters and vegetarians alike.  The CDC released a report in October 1996 on
the incidence of CJD in the U.S. from 1979 to 1994.  The incidence of CJD in
the U.S. was approximately one case per million population per year -- the
same as the worldwide average.

* There is no connection between bone meal and any human neurological
disease, especially CJD.  Research has clearly shown the infectious agent
believed to be responsible for BSE in cattle is not found in bone or bone
marrow.

* This issue should never have been of concern in the market.  CJD is not
new, it is not a public health issue related to beef, and floor traders at
the Chicago Mercantile Exchange should not use issues like this to add
volatility to the market. SOURCE  National Cattlemen's Beef Association

CO:  National Cattlemen's Beef Association

ST:  District of Columbia, Indiana

IN:  AGR HEA

SU:

04/16/97 16:58 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:30 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: European Parliament committee adopts report on organic
  livestock farming
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT NEWS REPORT PRESS RELEASE

DOCUMENT DATE: APRIL 23, 1997
ORGANIC LIVESTOCK FARMING: CONSUMER PROTECTION AND
GUARANTEES OF QUALITY

On 22 April 1997 the Committee on Agriculture (chairman Juan COLINO
SALAMANCA, PES, E) adopted the report by Christine BARTHET-MAYER (ERA, F) on
application of the Council Regulation (1991) on organic production of
agricultural products (see News Report No 62, 4 December 1996) (consultation
procedure) to livestock production.

The Commission text was an indication of Parliament's increased political
role following the BSE crisis. The crisis showed the need for a comprehensive
review of quality inspection systems especially with regard to animal
products and rules on organic livestock farming, as well as new protection
and guarantee policy for consumers inside and outside the EU.

Organic livestock production comes under the umbrella of sustainable
agriculture and ensures a balance between soil, crops and livestock with the
aim of:

protecting and increasing the production capacity of agricultural land;

producing high-quality organic foodstuffs without residues that cause
pollution;

increasing use of renewable energy and products in the production process;

maintaining biodiversity (in livestock, crops and the environment around
farms).

The committee argued that the regulation should allow Member States the
possibility to apply rules that took account of distinctive aspects of
national farming.

It also proposed amendments or additions with regard to:

improvements in product inspection and the independence and powers of the
inspection bodies;

a ban on the use of genetically modified organisms in farming and living
virus vaccines;

rearing densities and standards for animal feeding stuffs;

processed products of organic farming and financial resources needed to make
inspections effective.

At the end of a particularly difficult vote, in view of the number of
amendments (about 400), Mrs BARTHET-MAYER said she was pleased that most of
the compromise amendments had been adopted. Nevertheless she was sorry that
the amendment on increasing funds for the management and inspection of all
crop and animal livestock production had not been adopted, especially as
amendments enhancing labelling with a European logo associated with
inspections carried out by independently approved bodies had been adopted.

She also deplored the fact that the amendment on poultry rearing sheds had
been accepted since it removed all references to minimum standards on
density. This was inconsistent as limits on rearing densities had been
adopted for the pig, beef and veal sectors. It was difficult to imagine that
organic production could be combined with intensive farming.

Further information: Maria-Grazia CAVENAGHI - Tel. [phone]
 END OF DOCUMENT

05:21 04-24-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:39 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: EP creates cross-party committee to monitor BSE action
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

BRUSSELS, April 23 (Reuter) - The European Parliament approved on Wednesday
the creation of a special cross-party committee to monitor what the European
Commission is doing to improve the handling of the mad cow crisis.

The 20-member committee, which will operate for six months, aims to ensure
the Commission honours its promises to carry out the reforms which were
recommended by an EP committee of inquiry into the handling of the BSE
(bovine spongiform encephalopathy) epidemic.

When the committee of inquiry's report was published in February, the
parliament threatened to sack the entire Commission unless it introduced the
reforms by December.

Parliament's demands include changes to the Commission's internal management
structures and improved food safety policy.

The BSE monitoring committee will be chaired by German Socialist Dagmar
Roth-Behrendt.

Its final report, due out in November, will be drafted by German Christian
Democrat Reiner Boege, who chaired the EP's original committee of inquiry
into the mad cow crisis.

11:40 04-23-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:40 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: AR protesters at Yerkes plead "not guilty" Monday
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

ATLANTA, April 28 (Reuter) - Dozens of jailed animal rights protestors
pleaded not guilty Monday, declined to post bond and said they would conduct
a hunger strike to protest their treatment.

They were arrested Saturday after police fired tear gas and pepper spray into
a crowd that pushed through a barricade at Emory University's Yerkes Primate
Research Centre.

Protest organiser Jean Barnes said 53 activists, who face charges including
trespassing and inciting a riot, did not plan to post bond and would not
leave the jail until all of them were freed. Bond for most of them was set at
$132.

The Yerkes centre at Emory is part of a national network of primate research
centres funded by the National Institutes of Health. The centre uses primates
in research on AIDS, cardiovascular disease and drug abuse.

More than 3,000 primates live at a 117-acre Yerkes field station about 30
miles northeast of Atlanta.

20:20 04-28-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:48 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Dutch vets confirm BSE cases are domestic
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

    BRUSSELS, April 9 (Reuter) - Dutch Veterinary officials
have confirmed that two cases of mad cow disease diagnosed in
the northern province of Friesland involved domestically raised
animals, a European Commission official said on Wednesday.

     Veterinary officials from the Netherlands made a report to
the European Union's standing veterinary committee on Tuesday
but were unable to explain the cause of the Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) outbreaks, the official said.

     The Netherlands reported its second case of BSE, which has
been linked to the human brain wasting condition
Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease, on Monday.

     Experts are still trying to trace the cause of the first
outbreak reported on March 21 in a dairy herd which had no
record of introducing imported animals.

     "Veterinary experts are satisfied that the outbreaks are
domestic and that they do not involve animals imported from
Britain," the offcial said.

05:46 04-09-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:49 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: British farmers want EU meeting on BSE
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

LONDON, April 25 (Reuter) - British farmers' leaders want urgent meetings
with the EU commission and the British farm minister over a leaked letter
which casts doubt on British proposals for easing the ban on beef exports.

``I am very concerned and disappointed at what has apparently been written in
the letter,'' Sir David Naish, president of the the England and Wales
National Farmers' Union said in a statement.

``We must see real progress and I shall be seeking further discussions to see
how real progress can be made,'' Naish said.

The doubts were expressed in a joint letter from EU farm commisioner Franz
Fischler and food safety commissioner Emma Bonino, a copy of which was
obtained by Reuters.

Britain, urgently trying to persuade the EU to ease the economically and
politically harmful ban, in February proposed setting up a ``certified herd
scheme'' to identify cows from BSE-free herds which could then be exported.

14:13 04-25-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:51 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Old Infections Come Back to Haunt Humanity
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

By Maggie Fox

LONDON (Reuter) - Old infections like Ebola, dengue fever, and malaria and
new ones like mad cow disease are having a field day with explosions in
population growth and changes in human society, experts told a conference
Wednesday.

To make matters worse, doctors and politicians thought infectious diseases
were a thing of the past and diverted resources away from fighting them,
speakers told the Seventh Annual Public Health Forum on New and Resurgent
Infections.

Anthony McMichael of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
which sponsored the conference, said new opportunities for microbes were
being created by demographic and cultural changes such as deforestation,
global warming, influxes of refugees and medical advances such as organ
transplantation.

``Fortuitously occurring mutants are often best able to thrive in such newly
available niches,'' he said.

``The seemingly transmissible form of bovine prion protein (believed to cause
BSE or mad cow disease and a new human variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease)
is just one further instance,'' he added. ``Most fail -- a few succeed
spectacularly.''

Sometimes changes gave a second chance to microbes that scientists thought
they had defeated.

One example was dengue fever, said Duane Gubler, director of the Center for
Disease Control's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases in Fort Collins, Colo.

Dengue virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, can cause mild fever or deadly
internal bleeding. It re-emerged in the Americas after the Pan-American
Health Organization stopped its program of eradicating mosquitoes, a plan
aimed at preventing yellow fever.

Dengue had not been a problem for 40 years but it quickly took hold again and
has spread through the Caribbean, Central and South America and as far north
as Texas.

Civilization did not necessarily mean health advances, especially in crowded
cities, Gubler said.

``Most consumer goods are now packaged in non-biodegradable plastic or
cellophane, which is discarded into the environment where it collects
rainwater and provides ideal larval habitats for the mosquito vector,'' he
said.

Bruce Levin of Atlanta's Emory University warned that cavalier use of
antibiotics had allowed resistant microbes to develop. Describing it as an
arms race, he said technology was losing out to the fast evolution of
bacteria.

Growing populations were also spreading into virgin jungle, where unknown
pathogens lurked.

``Most of the 'new' viruses discovered have probably existed for centuries,
escaping detection because they only exist in remote areas,'' said Pierre
Rollin of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Urbanization, conflict and poor medical practice such as the re-use of
syringes help such viruses spread, he said. No one knew where Ebola lived
naturally, but as people intruded into wild forests, they would certainly
encounter it more often.

``Without warning, infected patients or incubating travelers can arrive in
unexpected and unprepared places,'' he added. Ebola, which causes
hemmorrhagic fever, has killed several hundred people in less than a dozen
outbreaks. Speakers said governments would have to plan more carefully,
trading their ``crisis mentality'' for careful planning, vaccination and
public health programs, he said.

13:18 04-23-97



Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 23:23:52 -0400
>From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: GREENS:  Elephants doomed if ivory trade resumes
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

LONDON (Reuter) - Elephants in southern Africa and Asia could be wiped out by
poachers if a small group of countries succeed in overturning a ban on the
international ivory trade, an environmental group said Tuesday.

Trading in ivory is banned under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES) but Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe, backed by
South Africa and Mozambique, plan to petition the 134-member CITES to lift
the 1989 ban.

The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said the proposal could spell
doom for the elephant population.

``The ban on international trade in ivory has been a huge success. Elephant
herds across Africa and Asia which were on the verge of disappearing have
started to recover,'' EIA Director Dave Currey said in a statement.

``Even a partial relaxation of the ban would send a message to poachers that
ivory trade is back. This would mean disaster for elephant populations across
the two continents.''

South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe all have large elephant populations which
they say often devastate their environment. Herds are often culled in an
attempt to keep numbers down.

The countries hope to convince governments and conservationists that the ban
merely drives trade underground. They plan to propose that ivory collected