Rare Pneumonia Found Among U.S. Soldiers in Iraq

[Cooley Hurd]

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=7153331

By Andrew Stern
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A rare and sometimes deadly pneumonia has hit 18 U.S. soldiers deployed in Iraq, and Army medical investigators are at a loss to explain the cause, according to a study published on Tuesday.

In a report appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center said two of the soldiers had died from the rare illness, called acute eosinophilic pneumonia, or AEP.

No common source was found for the outbreak that occurred between March 2003 and March 2004 among the soldiers in Iraq. The study covered only that time period and there was no indication whether cases have continued to show up since then.

The 18 victims studied ranged in age from 19 to 47 and all used tobacco, with three-quarters recently taking up the habit. All but one reported "significant exposure to fine airborne sand or dust" while in Iraq.

While only 18 cases have been reported among 183,000 troops deployed in Iraq during the time period involved, the authors said the cases are still significant because the disease is very rare in the general population.
</snip>

[arcos]

1. depleted uranium pneumonia, maybe? n/t

[Ian David]

2. OK, I was skeptical when I first heard of this

That was a week or two ago (from truthout.org?) or someplace like that.

It looks like this story has panned-out.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

5. Absolutely

They're already seeing a shitload of casualties with DU poisoning symptoms.

That stuff gets in the soldiers' DNA. Good luck having kids. If you survive.

Fuckface's Agent Orange. Ain't that sweet?

[Mr_Spock]

8. DU poisons people to death??????

lol - I'm getting out of here!!

[Maraya1969]

11. OH THAT IS FUNNY!

Thanks for the laugh!!!!

[goforit]

3. Or are these innocent individuals victims of Top Secret Testing??

[yardwork]

4. War always promotes disease

Whenever there is a large movement of people in and out of their normal habitats the germs have a field day. Add in the unhealthy conditions that soldiers and war refugees experience. Total infrastructure disruption in Iraq - water and sewage pipes blown up, water treatment plants kaput, no electricity, dead bodies, dead animals, lousy food, no refrigeration, people exposed to the elements - war creates a perfect environment for disease and epidemic.

At the end of WWII a deadly strain of influenza killed more people than those killed in action - and the pandemic covered the globe. Throughout history war has always been accompanied by disease - often new diseases.

[Nihil]

13. Influenza epidemic was at end of WWI not WWII

(but I agree with everything else you said!)

[frustrated_lefty]

6. AEP seems to be linked to exposure to allergens and

, possibly, to smoking.

A decent review can be found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15021059

The abstract follows:

Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2004 Apr;4(2):87-91. Related Articles, Links


Eosinophilic bronchitis in the workplace.

Quirce S.

Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Allergy Department, Madrid, Spain. [e-mail]

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to report that eosinophilic bronchitis without asthma may occur as an occupational airway disease. This condition is characterized by cough that is responsive to corticosteroids and eosinophilia detectable in the sputum, without variable airflow obstruction or airway hyperresponsiveness. RECENT FINDINGS: Eosinophilic bronchitis can be regarded as an occupational respiratory disorder when it develops as a consequence of work exposures. Recently, exposure to certain occupational allergens or sensitizers, such as natural rubber latex, mushroom spores, acrylates and an epoxy resin hardener, have been reported to cause eosinophilic bronchitis without asthma. Several hypotheses have been put forward trying to explain why patients with eosinophilic bronchitis do not have airway hyperresponsiveness. It is unknown whether eosinophilic bronchitis may progress to typical occupational asthma, or if eosinophilic airway inflammation may persist when asthma symptoms and airway hyperresponsiveness have waned after the cessation of exposure to the occupational agent. SUMMARY: Eosinophilic bronchitis, like asthma, may arise from occupational exposures. The examination of induced sputum should be added to the objective monitoring of lung function during periods at work and away from work, as well as before and after specific inhalation challenges with occupational agents.

[surfermaw]

7. Sand in Lungs

I would think sand in their lungs would be horrible.

[evolvenow]

9. Could the vaccines they forced soldiers to take...

plus the DU, plus war , plus horrific stress, constant cortisol, lower immunity and result in overwhelming illness. War is so ugly, and the spiral down will continue for generations.

[Maraya1969]

10. eosinophils are responsibil for allergies

According to the latest research I have found they conlcude that asthama sufferers have a lot of these types of cells. It would make sense that these men who have abnormally high levels of eosinophils and are being esposed to all sorts of antigens and chemicals would be at a high risk for developing severe lung problems. Even the darn dust is probably harmful to many of these men since dust can be an allergen to many people. Prednisone is used to treat this disease so one needs to SUPPRESS the immune system to get it from going out of control, (prednisone is given to people having asthma attacks because it supresses the bodies over-reaction to substances).

They need to screen these soldiers better and not allow the ones who have high levels of eosinophils into areas where they are going to be exposed to a high level of irritants.

According to one study I just read smoking had nothing to do with the incidences of AEP.

I know one thing, if I were out there for one day they would be taking me away in a streacher. I have air filters all through my house to get rid of dust, dander, pollens and other things that make my lungs go crazy.

This war is Hell and someone should be held responsible for it! (Like George Bush - creator of mass genocide)



Clinical Sx:


These patients are typically young males and without an atopic history. They usually present with acute dyspnea, fever and cough, which rapidly develops into respiratory failure. Steroid therapy is effective. Some cases spontaneously remit. Peripheral eosinophilia cell is present at the onset of the disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage demonstrates an increase in eosinophils (28-50%).

Etiology/Pathophysiology:

The cause of this disease is unknown. A hypersensitivity reaction to an unknown allergen is postulated.

[Barkley]

12. I wonder if the new-borns of GIs stationed in Iraq are coming out normal?