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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//IETF//DTD HTML//EN//2.0"> <html> <head> <title>AR-NEWS Digest</title> </head> <BODY bgcolor=fbfaea text=#211818 link="#190748" alink="#FFFFEF" vlink="#401C92"> <center> <IMG SRC="IMAGES/HEAD.GIF" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/digest/images/head.gif" USEMAP="#toplinks" BORDER="0"><BR> <img src="IMAGES/YCBAR.GIF" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/digest/images/ycbar.gif"><a href="../INDEX~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/index.html"><img src="IMAGES/HOMEBAR.GIF" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/digest/images/homebar.gif" border=0></a><br></center> <map name="toplinks"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" COORDS="345,27,393,54" href="../../../tppmsgs/msgs0.htm#14" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/envirohome.html"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" COORDS="458,7,512,27" href="../SUPPOR~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/Support.html"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" COORDS="401,7,446,26" href="../SEARCH~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/search.html"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" COORDS="352,7,386,26" href="../ORGS~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/Orgs.html"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" COORDS="298,7,337,25" href="../NEWSPA~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/newspage.html"> <AREA SHAPE="rect" COORDS="211,7,286,27" href="../SUB~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/sub.html"> </map> <center><TABLE cellspacing=15 border=0> <TR> <TD width=50 align=center> </TD> <TD width=400 align=left> <!-- PAGE CONTENT GOES BELOW --> <pre> AR-NEWS Digest 637 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Animal tests used for Ebola research by Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg> 2) (HK) Food poisoning from fish by Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg> 3) (US) Okla/Texas Women's Fishing Group Ceases Operation by JanaWilson <JanaWilson@aol.com> 4) (US) Oklahoma Weekly Hunting News by JanaWilson <JanaWilson@aol.com> 5) CIRCUS BAN - SUPPORT NEEDED by Nikolas Entrup <nentrup@compuserve.com> 6) America's Wildlife Love Affair "Strong" by Snugglezzz <Snugglezzz@aol.com> 7) Caras & Blakemore to address conference by "Bina Robinson" <civitas@linkny.com> 8) Wildlife in Kenya by Andrew Gach <UncleWolf@worldnet.att.net> 9) Another cancer treatment breakthrough - in theory by Andrew Gach <UncleWolf@worldnet.att.net> 10) Rabbit film and virus spread by bunny <rabbit@wantree.com.au> 11) Re: Howard Stern show by Perlow <Perlow@aol.com> 12) (US)LA Times: "US Researchers Use Cow's Eggs to Clone 5 Species Embryos" by Marisul <Marisul@aol.com> 13) (HK) Compulsory microchipping by jwed <jwed@hkstar.com> Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 14:00:01 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg> To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: Animal tests used for Ebola research Message-ID: <199801180600.OAA01581@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit >The Electronic Telegraph 18 Jan 98 Animal tests bring hope of Ebola cure By Victoria Macdonald, Health Correspondent SCIENTISTS have successfully immunised animals against the fatal Ebola virus, raising hopes for the first time that a vaccine can be developed for humans. There is currently no cure for the disease, which causes its victims to bleed to death and has been described by scientists as one of the worst plagues to afflict humanity. Now researchers at the University of Michigan in America have announced a breakthrough in vaccine development following successful trials on guinea pigs. Reporting their results in Nature Medicine, the scientists from the departments of biological chemistry, internal medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute said they had been able to protect the animals against the virus. The next step will be to carry out tests on primates followed by toxicity tests on humans. The researchers are hopeful that there is now a chance of developing a method of protecting people against Ebola and preventing its spread. The method is called genetic immunisation, in which scientists use a gene to trigger the production of Ebola-fighting antibodies. Efforts against the disease have in the past been more traditional. Live or passive vaccines - of the sort used for smallpox and rubella - have been injected. But these have failed, leading scientists to use plasmid DNA - which allows bacteria to change its genetic structure to survive - encoded with Ebola proteins. As with all immunisations, the scientists have had to ensure that they show the body's disease-fighting system enough of the virus to recognise it as an enemy but not so much that it triggers the disease. The animals were immunised and then injected with the virus two months later. They remained almost totally protected against Ebola. A control group that was not immunised all died. Finding a method of immunising people against Ebola is crucial to preventing its spread. The disease is largely found in Zaire, Sudan, Gabon and the Ivory Coast but the ease with which it is transmitted has prompted global concern that it will not be contained in those areas for much longer. In 1996, four cases were reported in Johannesburg, South Africa. Two hundred people were put in isolation and public health experts' warnings that viruses were only a plane-ride away were suddenly taken seriously. A worldwide alert was issued and in Britain isolation units were told to prepare themselves. Ebola is a haemorrhagic disease which, like Aids, is spread through blood and bodily fluids. Eighty to 90 per cent of patients die. The development of a vaccine would protect people in high-risk areas and and aid scientists seeking a cure. ⌐ Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997. Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 14:00:07 +0800 (SST) From: Vadivu Govind <kuma@cyberway.com.sg> To: ar-news@envirolink.org Subject: (HK) Food poisoning from fish Message-ID: <199801180600.OAA01377@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"