GenoMed Treatment Protocols: Great Horned Owl (2) (Modified by Lois Levitan)

I would be careful in saying that a certain treatment "cured" a West
Nile
infection in this owl without knowing that the owl even had a West Nile
infection at all. And while it may be beneficial, touting a treatment
on
animals while trying to recruit human patients is indicative of a study
that doesn't meet the rigor of accepted clinical trials.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------

P. Bryon Backenson
Acting Director, Arthropod-Borne Disease Program
New York State Department of Health
ESP, Corning Tower Room 632
Albany, NY 12237
phone: 518-474-4568
fax: 518-473-1708
e-mail: bpb01@health.state.ny.us

> From: David W. Moskowitz, MD, MA, FACP, (314) 983-9933
> <dwmoskowitz@genomedics.com>
> Date: Aug 3, 2004
>
> Source: Excerpted from GenoMed Press Release.
>
> [For background and additional information about GenoMed and WNV
> treatment protocols, see WNV-L postings with subject line WNV Treatment
> Protocols' and see full text of all GenoMed press releases at
> <http://www.genomedics.com/investor/dsp_investor.cfm>. -- WNV-L
> Moderator LCL]
>
> GenoMed's Treatment Saves Country's First Great Horned Owl from
> Presumed West Nile Virus Encephalitis
>
> ST. LOUIS, MO. – August 3, 2004 – GenoMed, Inc. (Pink Sheets: GMED), a
> Next Generation Disease Management™ company that uses its expertise in
> genomics to improve clinical outcomes in as many species as possible,
> announced today that its patent-pending treatment appears to have saved
> the country's first Great Horned Owl from presumed West Nile virus
> encephalitis.
>
> Marge Gibson, Executive Director of Raptor Education Group, Inc. in
> Antigo, Wisconsin (www.raptoreducationgroup.org) is using GenoMed's
> approach to treat American bald eagles and other large raptors. On July
> 21st, a female Great Horned Owl was brought in. The owl was sick, lying
> down frequently and having occasional seizures. The owl turned her head
> constantly and her eyes were unfocused, suggesting that she had
> vestibular neuritis, or inflammation of the balancing organ of the
> brain. She acted dazed and refused to eat on her own. She had to be
> tube-fed. Last Friday, July 29th, Ms. Gibson was finally able to get a
> sample of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), and gave a dose to
> the owl. In Ms. Gibson's experience, no Great Horned Owl had ever
> survived West Nile virus before.
>
> The next morning, Ms. Gibson came in to euthanize the owl, assuming it
> would be even closer to death. But the Great Horned Owl was standing in
> her cage with her eyes focused for the first time, and her head held
> still. When Ms. Gibson offered it a dead mouse she had in her hand for
> another patient, the owl gobbled it down, followed quickly by another
> mouse.
>
> Ms. Gibson quickly emailed other raptor rescue groups about the good
> news.
>
> Said Dr. David Moskowitz, GenoMed's CEO and Chief Medical Officer,
> "West Nile virus encephalitis looks the same under the microscope in
> different species. So we'd been hoping that the same treatment would
> work for birds and horses, as well as for people with an intact immune
> system. It's reassuring to have dramatic confirmation like this. The
> response in immunocompetent humans has been just as fast."
>
> Added Dr. Moskowitz, "I really hope more people will hear about our
> free trial. Every death from West Nile virus saddens me. I can't help
> thinking, 'If only that person or their family member or friend had
> heard about our trial in time.' "
>
> To enroll in GenoMed's free trial, just click on the "West Nile trial"
> link at http://www.genomedics.com.
>
> Dr. Moskowitz is a Harvard- and Oxford-educated physician, who trained
> for seven years in Internal Medicine, Biochemistry, and Nephrology at
> Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis before spending
> 11 years on the faculty of St. Louis University School of Medicine. He
> is a pioneer in the field of medical genomics, and has been recognized
> for his groundbreaking treatment of diseases associated with the
> angiotensin I-converting enzyme, such as chronic renal failure due to
> hypertension or type II diabetes. Dr. Moskowitz’s research on viruses,
> including West Nile virus, avian influenza ("bird flu"), and SARS, is
> regarded as an innovative approach for otherwise incurable diseases.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Received on Wed Aug 4 12:53:10 2004