The workshop, Microbial Biopesticides and Transgenic Insecticides - Enhancing Regulatory Communication, that was held in 2006, involved several presentations by scientific experts. Among them was Professor Anne K. Vidaver. Professor Vidaver's presentation was, "Cross-infective microbes: from plants to humans" - Anne Vidaver, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (wmv, 36 Mb)"
Professsor Vidaver was contacted by Sandi Trend, Mother of injured Agraquest, Inc. biotech Assistant Researcher David Bell on December 12, 2009.
Dear Professor Vidaver,
I am so hoping your will receive this e-mail.
I have been watching your video presentation of "Cross-infective microbes: from plants to humans" during the Enhancing Regulatory Communication Workshop (November 7, 2006).
Although I had found articles that referenced plant pathogens as being human pathogens as well, your presentation is without a doubt far better than what I found. And I am so excited to have found this today!
Professor Vidaver, I am hoping you won't mind if I transcribe your 2006 video presentation as I have great need for this transcription.
I don't know how to begin in explaining to you what had happened to my son while working in the biotechnology industry, except to say that what he has had to endure over the last 10+ years is beyond belief.
My son worked for a biotechnology company that sought "novel" microorganisms from all over the world for the purpose of finding candidate's for products to be used on plant diseases and used for insect control. He was told he was safe, which turned out not to be the case.
My son wasn't even out of college when he accepted a position as a Research Assistant at the biotechnology company; for a period of six to 12 months; to obtain lab hours in August of 1998. Five months and nine days after he was at this company; with purulent bloody pus draining from his nose, a fever and throwing up, he told his supervisor he had to leave because he was so sick. He went straight to an immediate care medical clinic where he was put on Zithromax and told to see an ear, nose and throat specialist immediately. This he did, and by this time the left half of his face and teeth were numb. Within seven days of initially leaving work sick, the ENT scheduled my son for the first of what would become four major sinus surgeries (the last was in 2006). Countless other sinus procedures have been done in-office at different physicians offices throughout the years.
My son lost the ability to produce the required amount of B-cells for an intact immune system and for three years, every 28 days he was hooked to an IV pump in the hospital receiving immunoglobulin infusions.
My son also has organ problems now that he never had before and all of this is because of his exposure to known and unknown pathogens in the biotechnology company he worked for. Of course the company my son worked for has denied any and all responsibility for their making my son sick although there have been nineteen (19) microorganisms [both fungi and bacteria] that have either tested positive in my son's blood serum and/or shown positive in his nose and/or sputum cultures and/or shown levels of positive to HIGH POSITIVE in Environmental IgG testing; showing levels of exposure. Each and every one of these microorganisms testing positive in my son can be traced back to the company's research, patents (and/or patents that the company scientist's are listed as "inventor/s" on other company's patents) and/or the company's products. Throughout the years my son has continued to have sinus infections and has been placed on numerous antibiotics and anti-fungals as well as other prescriptions.
Professor Vidaver, my son has NEVER been sick like this. He did have the normal colds and normal childhood ailments, as well as seasonal allergies... and he did have a double hernia operation when he was six years old due to an auto accident, but this was all.
Histo yeast was identified in my son's blood serum by the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona and this is when we knew for sure the company was concealing the fact they knew they were responsible for making my son sick because when I did research on Histoplasma and tried to find the connection with my son's former employer; I found that just four days after my son had told his supervisor he was sick and left to seek medical attention, all of the scientists that were "inventors" on a patent started signing away their interest rights to a company out of state. The patent clearly says, "can be used to treat human fungal diseases" (and Histoplasma was listed as well as Aspergillus and Tinea)
My belief the reason the company didn't (and does not) want to be held accountable for my son's occupation illness and disease is because they were in the process of trying to obtain registration from the EPA. Had they reported my son's illness, as they were required to do, it would no doubt cause negative attention from regulatory agencies as well as the past and present company investors.
State and Federal regulatory agencies don't do their jobs when it comes to oversight in the biotechnology industry and in fact, the company seems to have an "IN" with all the regulatory agencies.
What has happened to my son and no doubt happened to so many others is inexcusable. It is a sad state of affairs when my son's daughter asked her mother, "What was Daddy like before he got sick?' My granddaughter has never known her Father in a healthy state.
Would it be possible to get copies of your presentation as they appeared on the overhead during your presentation of "Cross-infective microbes: from plants to humans" Professor Vidaver? Not being a scientist, I am having a terrible time understanding the microorganisms you are referring to when watching the video.
Thank you for your valuable time Professor.
Sincerely,
Sandi Trend
On December 15, 2009 Sandi Trend received the following reply [email] from Professor Vidaver:
Dear Sandi:
I'm delighted that you found my presentation useful to you. (I assume got this from http://biopesticide.ucr.edu/video/video.html) . It's free to transcribe and use as you wish. I can also send you the more detailed book chapter that that presentation was based on if you send me your address. I was saddened to hear about your son. It would seem that you need impartial medical and legal advice.
I have found that few people in the medical profession seem to think that plant associated microbes can be of concern to humans, and this can have unfortunate consequences.
I wish you well.
Anne
Anne K. Vidaver
University of Nebraska
Department of Plant Pathology
406 Plant Sciences
Lincoln, NE 68583-0722
Tel. (402)472-2858
Fax. (402)472-2853
e-mail.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
On December 21, 2009 Sandi Trend Received from Professor Anne Vidaver
the 4th EDITION of Biological Safety Principles and Practices -
All Video Presentations at the Microbial Biopesticides and Transgenic Insecticides - Enhancing Regulatory Communication were:
(To download, right click at a link and choose Save Target As...)Plenary Lectures I.
(Moderated by Robert Nowierski, USDA-CSREES)- P.1 - Pests and Disease needs for new methods in agriculture - Bob Staten (wmv, 32 Mb)
- P.2 - History of Paratransgenesis - Frank Richards, Yale University (wmv, 29 Mb)
- P.3 - Pioneering applications in transgenic insect technologies - Luke Alphey, University of Oxford (wmv, 32 Mb)
- P.4 - Cross-infective microbes: from plants to humans - Anne Vidaver, University of Nebraska - Lincoln (wmv, 36 Mb)
Plenary Lectures II.
(Moderated by Robert Rose, USDA-CSREES)- P.5- Development of transgenic pink bollworm - Greg Simmons, USDA, APHIS, PPQ (wmv, 23 Mb)
- P.6 - The pathogen / commensal paradigm: can taxonomy predict risk? - Bryan White, University of Illinois (wmv, 18 Mb)
- 1.1 - Development of symbiotic control of PD - David Lampe, Duquesne University (wmv, 23 Mb)
- 1.2 - Microbial Biopesticides - Michael Adang, University of Georgia (wmv, 20 Mb)
- 1.3 - Risk Assessment research for the PD project - Tom Miller, UC - Riverside (wmv, 27 Mb, PowerPoint, 14 Mb)
- 1.4 - Elimination of a primary Filariasis vector population at an endemic field site - Stephen Dobson, University of Kentucky (wmv, 21 Mb)
- 1.5 Risk Assessment and Biotechnology - "Get Jiggy with it!" - Charlie Yoe, College of Notre Dame (wmv, 42 Mb)
The schedule had been modified.
- Introduction - Michael Firko, USDA-APHIS-PPQ (wmv, 4 Mb)
- 2A.1 - Regulating microbials for plant pest risk - Robert Flanders, USDA-APHIS-PPQ (wmv, 23 Mb)
- 2A.2 - EPA regulatory process for microbial pesticides - William Schneider - EPA, BPPD (not available)
- 2A.3 - Microbial pest control agents: environmental considerations - William MacDonald, West Virginia University (wmv, 15 Mb)
- 2A.4 - APHIS/BRS regulatory process for genetically engineered microbials- Andrea Huberty - USDA-APHIS, BRS (wmv, 26 Mb)
- 2B.1 - The impact of regulatory decisions on emerging pest control research - Margaret Allen, USDA-ARS (not available)
- 2B.2 - Regulatory procedures for transgenic insects - Robyn Rose, USDA-APHIS-BRS (wmv, 24 Mb)
- 2B.3 - The Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative: Genetic strategies to control insect vectors of disease - Stephanie James, NIH (not available)
- 2B.4 - Genetic modification of insects of medical importance: past, present and future - Marcelo Lorena, Johns Hopkins (not available)
- 2B.5 - An incremental process for developing releases of genetically engineered mosquitoes - Mark Benedict, CDC (not available)
- 3.1 - Development of AF-36 - Peter Cotty, USDA-ARS (wmv, 20 Mb)
- 3.2 - Regulatory summary of AF-36 - John Kough - EPA, BPPD (not available)
- 3.3 - What Do Risk Assessments of Agricultural Biotechnologies Need to Tell Risk Managers? - Erik Lichtenberg, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (wmv, 28 Mb)
- 4.1 - GE and non-GE fungi: Risk Assessment - Ray St. Leger, University of Maryland (wmv, 21 Mb)
- 4.2 - Burkholderia cepacia : TSCA Regulatory aspects - Mark Segal, EPA, OPPT (not available)
- 4.3 - Burkholderia cepacia : FIFRA - Regulatory aspects - Chris Wozniak, CSREES (wmv, 15 Mb)
- 5.1 - Impact of regulatory activity on emerging companies - Pam Marrone, Marrone Organic Innovations (wmv, 29 Mb)
- 5.2 - Panel Discussion: How do we enhance communication and cooperation. (wmv, 20 Mb)
- 6.1- Brief overview of Split Sessions: Microbial and Transgenic Insect - Herve Bossin (wmv, 19 Mb)
- 6.2 - Risk assessment framework for paratransgenesis - Scott Matthews, Yale University (wmv, 18 Mb)
- 6.3 - What can public sector researchers do to facilitate the registration process? - Michael Braverman, IR-4 Project, Rutgers University (wmv, 25 Mb)
- 6.4 - Costs of biopesticide registration?- Robert Torla, EPA-BPPD International Atomic Energy Agency (not available)
