Bacteria Linked to Bowel Disorder

[Guest guest]

The question then becomes.... is it the bacteria that needs

addressing, or instead should we focus on improving the morbid

terain that allows the bacteria to proliferate.... My two cents is

that truly holistic medicine would focus on the person, the terrain,

and not on killing a specific critter... Think of all the critters

out there, but only some of us get sick... Why? The difference is

in the terrain...

Be Well,

Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

 

Bacteria Linked to Bowel Disorder

 

Scientists have identified a type of bacteria they believe may cause

Crohn's disease. The bowel disorder affects 100,000 Britons and can

cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from a lack of appetite to

chronic diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Its cause is unknown although

there have been suggested that it can be passed to humans in milk.

This discovery of a type of bacteria in patients with the disease

will raise hopes of better treatments to fight the condition.

Professor John Hermon-Taylor and colleagues at St George's Hospital

Medical School in London carried out tests on a group of patients

with Crohn's disease.

 

They also carried out tests on another group without the condition.

The discovery that the MAP bug is present in the vast majority of

Crohn's sufferers means it is almost certainly causing the

intestinal inflammation Action Research They found Mycobacterium

avium paratuberculosis (MAP) bacteria in 92% of patients with the

disease. However, they only found the bacteria in 26% of patients

without the condition.

 

This has led the scientists to suggest that this bacteria may play a

key role in spreading the disease. " The rate of detection of MAP in

individuals with Crohn's disease is highly significant and

implicates this pathogen in disease causation, " said Professor

Hermon-Taylor.

 

" The problems caused by the MAP bug are a public health tragedy, " he

said. IBS clue Professor Hermon-Taylor said an unexpected finding of

the research showed that patients suffering from irritable bowel

syndrome (IBS) may also be infected with MAP. IBS is painful and can

cause diarrhoea, or diarrhoea alternating with constipation.

 

Sufferers often desperately need to go to the toilet with little

warning, which severely limits their lifestyle. No-one knows what

causes IBS, although it is suggested that stress can make it worse.

More women are affected than men.

 

" In animals, MAP inflames the nerves of the gut, " Professor

Hermon-Taylor said. " Recent work from Sweden shows that people with

IBS also have inflamed gut nerves. " There is a real chance that the

MAP bug may be inflaming people's gut nerves and causing IBS. "

The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Professor Hermon-Taylor said he has sent a copy of the paper to Sir

Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer for England.

 

The research was welcomed by the medical charity Action Research.

It said that previous studies have suggested that MAP is found in 2%

of retail pasteurised milk cartons. " The discovery that the MAP bug

is present in the vast majority of Crohn's sufferers means it is

almost certainly causing the intestinal inflammation, " it said in a

statement.

 

" Action Research does not recommend that anyone stops drinking milk.

" However, for those individuals with Crohn's disease or their close

relatives who may feel particularly at risk, it may be sensible to

start drinking UHT milk. " As UHT involves higher pasteurisation

temperatures, it is probable that MAP is destroyed, " it said.

The charity called for Crohn's to be made a reportable disease, for

more stringent milk pasteurisation, for tests for MAP in dairy

herds, and procedures for reducing MAP infection on farms.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/3130173.stm

 

Published: 2003/08/06 17:13:31 GMT

 

? BBC MMIII