Bt’ toxin found in B’laans’ blood

March 6, 2004

‘Bt’ toxin found in B’laans’ blood By ROMER S. SARMIENTO TODAY Correspondent

GENERAL SANTOS CITY - A Norwegian scientist disclosed here on Thursday an alarming finding that Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) toxic traces were found in the blood samples of several persons living near a Bt-corn field in a remote village of South Cotabato.

Dr. Terje Traavik, a scientist from the Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology, told reporters here that traces of Bt toxin were discovered in the blood samples of the B’laan natives living in barangay Landan in Polomolok, South Cotabato.

“My research showed that footprints of Bt toxin were found in the blood samples [of those people living near the Bt- corn field],” he said.

However, he quickly added that it’s difficult to conclude whether the traces of Bt toxin found in the blood samples taken from the residents was a result of the individuals’ exposure to the Bt-corn field, stressing, “I’ve taken the tests on the blood samples two months after the residents complained of various symptoms.”

In August 8 last year, about 100 residents in far-flung barangay Landan were documented to have been suffering from headache, dizziness, extreme stomach pain, vomiting and allergies, about three months after local farmers planted some hectares with Monsanto’s Yieldgard 818, the firm’s Bt corn variety.

Sister Susan Bolanio, director of the Social Action Center of the diocese of Marbel, said the residents claimed that their sickness was a result of the planting of Monsanto’s Bt-corn variety in their village.

But Dr. Edwin Dipus, Polomolok health officer, days later wrote that the cause of the illnesses of the examined 96 patients could not be directly linked to their exposure to the transgenic plant.

Following this, on October 9, local church workers facilitated the blood sampling of 38 villagers, whose specimens were later sent to Traavik’s laboratory at the University of Tromso in Norway.

A paper given to reporters containing Traavik’s interpretation of the test said: “Specific serum IgG antibodies show that individual has been exposed to antigen, i.e. Bt toxin, during its lifetime.”

Moreover, it said that “specific IgA and IgM antibodies show that the individual has been exposed to the antigen, i.e. Bt toxin, during the last few months.”

Antibodies, Traavik explained, indicate exposure to Bt toxin.

But when pressed if the traces of Bt toxin in the blood samples were the result of the natives’ exposure to the Bt-corn field in their village, Traavik said this has yet to be conclusively proven.

“Scientifically, it’s fully possible that other elements may cause the diseases complained earlier by the residents. What I’m sure, however, is that I discovered footprints of Bt toxin in their blood samples. Whether the traces of Bt toxin came from the Bt corn planted in their village, that I cannot conclude,” Traavik said. “It’s difficult to completely conclude if the Bt toxin, indeed, came from the Bt corn. We need to conduct further researches on that. However, this alarming finding should serve as early warning that it [bt corn] could be harmful to our health,” the scientist added.

Owing to his finding, Traavik called for the observance of the Cartagena Protocol among the countries in the world. The protocol strongly promotes precautionary measure, wherein GMOs should not be released to the environment until studies overwhelmingly prove that they are safe for humans and the environment.

A farmer leader here who attended the press conference, Felix Cordero, of the Sinag Multipurpose Cooperative, refused to believe that Bt corn can cause ill effects to human health and the environment.

“I personally ate last year boiled Bt corn planted in my farm but I did not feel any ill effects,” Cordero told reporters.

Monsanto officials here brushed aside the findings of Traavik and recommended an independent study about the matter.

“We really don’t know how they were able to determine such findings. I think it’s a biased result, considering that they came from those opposing our product,” Francisco Camacho, Monsanto’s technology development executive here, said.

He said the credibility of findings should be substantiated, especially the process by which the blood samples were taken.

“We have to make sure that the samples were taken properly and that the process of the analysis was based on accepted scientific standards,” he said.

Camacho also said the alleged infection of Landan residents from the Bt-corn plants was the only report they received out of the hundreds of sites planted with Bt corn in this city and nearby South Cotabato.

A University of the Philippines- Manila professor of medical microbiology and microbial immunology, meanwhile, cautioned that Traavik’s finding needs to be evaluated since she said it is a “serious allegation.”

“The statement made by Norwegian scientist Terje Traavik that ‘blood samples from 39 people in Southern Philippines carried increased levels of three different target antibodies showing evidence of an immune reaction to the Bt toxin built into the maize gene to combat pests’ needs to be evaluated based on the basic principles of immunology and immunobiology,” said Dr. Nina Gloriani Barzaga of the UP College of Public Health.

“Traavik needs to show pertinent scientific data that establish his claims, before making press releases and unduly causing panic to the public,” she added.

She stressed that it is important that Traavik “specify which isotypes of antibodies were found to be increased in these individuals, the levels of increases in these individuals, the specific antigenic epitopes that these antibodies recognized.” Moreover, she said, his data should also be able to establish that “the presence of these antibodies correlated with clinical signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity [or any biologic activity] among these individuals.”

“It is also important for Traavik to indicate what types of tests were performed, and in which laboratories these tests were performed. There are accepted standardized and validated procedures used in any allergenicity testing,” Bargaza said.

She said the MON 810 corn, which is sold as Dekalb 818 YG in the Philippines, has the Bacillus thuringensis toxin Cry 1Ab, which Traavik referred to as the protein that the Filipinos generated an immune reaction to.

“This is a serious allegation and Traavik should be able to explain convincingly, how Bt maize pollen, which is known not to carry the toxin, could have sensitized these Filipinos against the Bt Cry 1Ab toxin,” she said.

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