Pat's Note:

I obviously got that one right. There is something special and more
dangerous about Scotland's zoonotic epidemics.

I will be well in line for President's Salmond's order of an
Independent Scotland. The investiture, marked by a compulsory grovel,
rather than a bow, will be known as taking the "PSIS"

The bit that continues to trouble me is the almost wilful refusal to
even mention pigs, even to exclude them as a source.

I know, and you know by now, that the local  pig herds, of which there
are many, have been riddled with circovirus disease and stuffed full
of antibiotics for nine years. 

Thousands, banned from the food chain in Scotland,  were shipped south
of the border for slaughter with the comment "let the English eat them
if they like...."

We know that pigs can harbour this strain of E.Coli 0157 and we know,
from American research that these zoonotic nasties including E.Coli
can travel for miles in ground water from slurry lagoons or other
disposal methods

We know that the outbreak, just down the road from the conference has
been traced to the private water supply.

We know that Proff. Hugh Pennington doubts that we will ever find the
source.

I think Scotland's nastier strain of government veterinarians are
taking the PSIS too.


http://news.scotsman.com/health/Scottish-E-coli-bug-may.4447082.jp

2nd September 2008 

Scottish E coli bug may be world's worst

By ANDREW HAMILTON 

SCIENTISTS are investigating whether Scotland could be home to a more
virulent form of the deadly E coli 0157 bug than is found in other
parts of the world, it emerged yesterday.

Microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington said evidence emerging from
studies in the United States suggested some strains of the bug were
more vicious than others.

He said that could help to explain why Scotland had the world's
highest incidence of E coli.

Prof Pennington was speaking at the opening of an international
conference in Aberdeen where leading scientists were to discuss a
dangerous 0157 mutant form of E coli. 

The bug is found in human and cattle intestines and can be passed by
eating infected food and liquid. Prof Pennington, who will be the main
speaker at the Food Micro 2008 event, which runs until Thursday, said
the US studies suggested it was "not beyond the bounds of possibility"
that Scotland could have a nastier strain.

He said: "There may be a strain in this country that is better at
getting about and causes more mischief."

-- 
Regards
Pat Gardiner
Release the results of testing British pigs for MRSA and C.Diff now!
www.go-self-sufficient.com  and http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.com/