CONTINUUM LeonLeon ChaitowChaitow ––holisticholistic healinghealing && AIDSAIDS ProteaseProtease InhibitorsInhibitors ––thethe hypehype fadesfades TheThe Drug-AIDSDrug-AIDS HypothesisHypothesis —what’s—what’s thethe link?link? changing the way we think about aids vol 4 no 5 february/march 1997 UK £3 USA $5 CONTINUUM a magazine by the living for the living vol 4, no 5 why CONTINUUM? focus february/march 1997 Protease Inhibitors The orthodox view on AIDS holds that it is caused by a virus known as HIV that is PIs in Provincetown 8 JOHN LAURITSEN wonders how hope can transmitted through the exchange of body exact such a price fluids. Once infected, a person will remain well for a time, though infectious to others, From Hype to Hesitation 11 before going on to develop AIDS and dying. Recent research has led to serious caution Despite the huge sums of money spent on reports HUW CHRISTIE medical research, there is still no cure, just drug therapies said to slow the progress of the disease, and regular T-cell counts to measure health. features A whole industry has evolved around New Wave in France 13 AIDS, on which many careers and A recent health conference opened doors to businesses depend, but which offers little freedom of treatment hope to those affected. It works on the premise that HIV=AIDS=DEATH. Interview 14 CONTINUUM began as a newsletter Holistic doctor LEON CHAITOW says AIDS is a encouraging those effected to empower complex scenario which natural healing themselves to make care and treatment methods can address choices. As we look further, anomalies in the orthodox view continue to appear. supplement 20 Are you aware, for example, that the link PHOTO: Martin Langer, 1986 The Drug AIDS Hypothesis of PETER Doing Time – news may travel relatively between HIV and AIDS has never been more DUESBERG and DAVID RASNICK fast, but is it always accurate? than hypothetical? That a growing body of (see pp. 4-7 etc) scientists and doctors throughout the world CounterCulture 22 doubt that HIV causes AIDS? Part 2 of IAN YOUNG’s revealing look at the At the onset of the “epidemic”, the religious fervour that some devote to AIDS in hysteria that resulted from the linking of The AIDS CULT and its seroconverts news sex, death and an infectious virus created a climate where to question the “facts” was Near Enough is Good Enough? 26 News roundup 2 considered reprehensible. Many of those PETER DUESBERG comes back in defence of DissentingView 4 who dared to do so were silenced or the existence of “HIV” NIGEL EDWARDS writes from prison ridiculed. Since the growth of the ortho- HIV Watch 6 doxy, those who question have also had to Why no whole Virus? 27 Time magazine’s dangerous choice ELENI ELEOPULOS and colleagues argue his contend with the weight of vested interests. claims are unsubstantiated Twelve years after HIV was first associated with AIDS many predictions based on the No Viral Identification 31 regulars viral hypothesis are failing to materialise. STEFAN LANKA says human rights, not CONTINUUM is a unique forum for those in personal cult, are the issue Comment 4 the scientific community challenging the Healthy Options: Micro-algae 19 orthodoxy and those whose lives have in Vitamins – essential to life 34 Review 21 some way been touched by the hypothesis. Why we need them, and how to get them is discussed by BOO ARMSTRONG Letters 38 CONTINUUM is a voluntary organisation Live, Live, Live 38 dedicated to providing information we Workshops for Change 36 Listings 39 Overcoming the shock of an HIV diagnosis can believe is necessary for the fuller be a process of growth explains MICHAEL Snarl 39 understanding of HIV, AIDS and immunity. BAUMGARTNER Lust for Life 40 All our workers are unpaid and the organisation relies on subscriptions and donations to maintain its work. Your support in any way is greatly appreciated. changing the way we think about aids CONTINUUM VOL 4, NO 5 1 Rising confidence The annual Health Monitor survey of 10,000 people found that the number of 18 to 20 year UN Network olds risking ‘unsafe sex’ has doubled in the past 12 months. Among all adults, the number expressing “strong concern” about developing ‘AIDS’ has fallen. “A lot of people have hunts for HIV come to the conclusion that they The World Health Organ- very much more to learn about specific antigen”, a protein are not at risk from HIV”, said isation Network for HIV HIV,” but claimed “proper known as p24. Long-running Anne Weyman, chief exec of the Isolation and Characterisation isolation of the virus has been disagreement exists between Family Planning Association. (WHO-NHIC) has been placed achieved”. Dr Saladin “discoverers of HIV” Luc The Guardian 14 Feb 97 under the auspices of the Osmanoff of UN-AIDS’ Montagnier, who claims p24 is recently created programme Department of Policy, Strategy the most specific protein of Falling figures United Nations-AIDS (UN- and Research in Geneva said HIV, and Robert Gallo, who The annual number of ‘AIDS’ AIDS) so efforts since 1989 to research with material from claims p41 is the most specific deaths has fallen by half, new identify HIV can continue. different parts of the world has HIV protein. Montagnier claims figures show. Researchers hope Says Dr Eva Maria Fenyo of produced “variations in the on the contrary p41 is a this means the worst phase of the Karolinska Institute, structure of HIV” of as much common cellular protein. the ‘epidemic’ is ending. Dr Tony Stockholm, a Principal as 30%. Today, oddly, WHO minimum Fauci, of the NIH, said he expects Investigator who has acted as Dr Fenyo revealed the criteria for a positive result on more such results from around co-ordinator of the Network’s current preferred the HIV Western blot antibody the USA. Hospitals in Los Angeles programme, the ongoing criteria for isolation of HIV are test do not require inclusion of are announcing similar dramatic attempt to characterise HIV either: (1) detection of a “virus- the Network’s p24. falls. London’s Chelsea and West- has been “a fantastic experi- specific enzyme”, reverse Pressed for undisputed minster hospital has closed down ence”. The Network involves transcriptase, which she evidence of structural isolation one of its ‘AIDS’ wards due to laboratories in at least 11 claimed has been known to be of a complete HIV, Fenyo cited lack of demand, as has Sydney’s countries, and its goals include retrovirus-specific since 1970, electron micrographs Royal North Shore Hospital. “to facilitate the international though this enzyme has been produced by Dr Hans THUD, 21 Feb 97 collaborative research frequently reported by other Gelderblom of Germany. This Sydney Star Observer 30 Jan 97 addressing critical questions” scientists in non-viral genetic scientist however acknowl- and “evaluation, validation and activity in contexts as diverse edged the particles he Testing rejected standardisation of modern as insects, yeast, maize and photographed were not The British Medical Journal laboratory technologies for hiv humans. In yeast reverse separated from other cellular rejected compulsory ‘HIV’ testing isolation and characterisation” transcription can be found particles and proteins (i.e. in for doctors as callers jammed in “effective partnership” with “precisely mimicking the early reality isolated); and they were helplines at three hospitals that “scientists, institutions, organi- stages of infection by a retro- not banded at the density employed an ’HIV diagnosed’ sations and the pharmaceutical virus” according to a British gradient of 1.16g/ml, which junior doctor who died last month. industry.” secondary school biology text; conventional science has Rosemary Geller, Shropshire’s Dr Fenyo stated, “There is or (2), detection of a “virus- defined for retroviruses. Director of Public Health, said: He cautions that the “We have never had a case in “knobs” of glyco-protein 120 this country of HIV or AIDS being (gp120) which are essential for transferred from a health care the idealised model of HIV he worker to a patient”. The cause proposed in 1987 to be infec- of Dr Olukayode Fasawe’s death “HIV”doctor freed tious are seen only in has not been established. A medical doctor accused of under judical pressure. “immature (budding) particles” The Guardian 20 Feb 97 14 cases of HIV-associated Chancellor Kohl has become which are “very rarely murder and 5,800 cases of personally involved in the observed” and are seen only Dirty Water HIV-associated attempted “AIDS” scenario which came “on metabolically impaired Dwindling UK water supplies have murder has been set free in into existence during his near cells”. He estimated the led to an outbreak of human infec- Goettingen, Germany. After record tenure. Whistle-blowers average number of these tions with water-borne parasite pressure from health and are now airing the possibility essential infectious knobs cryptosporidium, that produces human rights organisation that Germany will soon seen is 0.5 (sic), and cautioned sudden explosive diarrhoea. In regimed, the world’s first abandon the US-dominated that even these could repre- immune-compromised people AIDS-murder-trial ended with AIDS-policy. sent false postive readings. infection can occasionally be life- the court dropping murder Contrary to the CDC-defini- The UN-AIDS programme, threatening. 300,000 north London charges related to allegations tion of “HIV” and “AIDS”, the structured in 1996, is and Hertfordshire households of “inaccurate testing” against decision of the German High sponsored by six organisa- have been told to boil all water Günter Ekkert in August 1996; Court is that “HIV” is neither a tions including the World Bank for consumption. three of 14 antibody positive deadly nor dangerous virus, and UNICEF, with an annual The Times 4 Mar 97 transfusion patients had died but merely “something” which core budget of US$120 million.