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Chronic Neuroimmune Diseases
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Last updated January 1, 2014

The Brucellosis Triangle picks up where the authors' first book, The Extremely Unfortunate Skull Valley Incident left off. In The Extremely Unfortunate Skull Valley Incident, the authors linked Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Gulf War Syndrome to a laboratory engineered form of brucellosis, created to be used as a biological weapon. In The Brucellosis Triangle, further details about the brucellosis pathogen emerge, and linkages to many modern day neurodegenerative systemic diseases are made.

During the Second World War, world leaders began programs that would lead to the development of biological weapons. Shortly thereafter, the United States and it's allies became increasingly interested in developing agents that would disable, in addition to those that would kill the enemy. The rationale was this: it imposed a greater logistical burden on the enemy to look after a sick comrade than to bury him. Researchers started out with naturally occurring microbes and looked for ways to improve upon them.

Brucellosis was fast identified as an all star pathogen. It was selected for use as a biological weapon because it was (a) insidious and hard to detect and (b) presented in almost every organ or system of the human body. The bacteria inflicted immense suffering on its victims, causing symptoms that included high fever, shivering , aching, drenching sweats, headache, backache, weakness and depression. It's most disabling symptom was bone crushing fatigue. As well, damage to major organs was possible. "The brain could be damaged with neurobrucellosis"causing a disease like multiple sclerosis, "the heart could be damaged by scarring predominantly on the left ventricle valves and inflammation of the lining; the digestive system could be damaged with scarring in the stomach and intestines; the genitourinary tract could be damaged by scarring, including scars on the uterus which often led to hysterectomies; the musculoskeletal system could be damaged by scarring in...bones and joints; the lungs could be damaged by the growth of a fibrous mass causing breathing problems." With such terrible capabilities, it is easy to see why brucellosis quickly became the starting point for research into biological weapons.

Frightening as it was, naturally occurring brucellosis bacteria wasn't exactly what the researchers were looking for, though. It wasn't very contagious, and the course of illness was usually just weeks or months. Furthermore, it wasn't readily transmissible over large areas from great distance. But this would all change.

In 1946, bioweapons researchers in the United States marked a great accomplishment; one that would prove dangerous for humanity. A U.S. government report dated January 3, 1946 lists certain accomplishments of the biowar research effort, including "Production and isolation, for the First Time, Of A Crystalline Bacterial Toxin." The researchers had been able to extract the bacterial toxin from the bacteria, and reduce it to crystalline form. Essentially they had created an agent of pure disease. They were able to reach inside the bacteria that usually sheltered the toxin, and remove just the toxin. Thus, the immune system, which targets specific organisms, such as bacteria, would have no target. Laboratory tests which were geared toward identifying bacteria would show nothing. And antibiotics, the only effective treatment for brucellosis, would be useless. [For a more detailed explanation of this accomplishment, see end of this report.] The victim would be very ill, for no apparent reason. Furthermore, this new toxin was in crystalline form, making it very easy to distribute. It could be ground into exceedingly fine particles and delivered on a warhead or missile, or from a canister mounted on an aircraft or vehicle. It could also be transmitted with the use of insects, such as mosquitoes, fleas or ticks.

Shortly after this accomplishment by the U.S. military, the world started hosting outbreaks of a strange disease resembling polio, but with significant differences. Between 1947 and 1959, there were 20 outbreaks of a disease that came to be called 'Epidemic Neuromyasthenia' (today called CFS), and interestingly enough, all of these outbreaks occurred in areas of British/American military domination. Were these outbreaks the result of testing of the new brucellosis pathogen? The authors suggest that they were.

Studying these outbreaks provides the link to other neurodegenerative systemic diseases, that the authors feel are also caused by the brucellosis pathogen. In the Iceland outbreak of 1947-49, almost 500 school children became ill with what is now called CFS. Strangely, 5 children in this outbreak developed Parkinson's disease and died. Parkinson's is a disease that does not generally affect children; ordinarily the age of onset is in the late 40's and early 50's. The author's suggest that to have 5 children suddenly contract Parkinson's in the midst of an outbreak of CFS is very suggestive. Furthermore, some twenty five years later, during an outbreak of CFS among nurses on Stock Island, several nurses became ill with Multiple Sclerosis.

The authors write that not only were the brucellosis pathogens tested upon unwitting civilian and military personnel, they were also tested at a U. S. Military base in Utah. Military personnel involved in these tests and in handling the brucellosis agent were advised in a government document that due to the nature of their service they could possibly develop multiple sclerosis or schizophrenia. To this day, we have no known 'official' cause of Multiple Sclerosis or Schizophrenia. How then, could the military predict that certain of their soldiers would contract the disease, and why would they classify it as a service-related disability? The authors suggest that, perhaps, the military knows more about the cause of these illnesses than the rest of society.

Key was an outbreak of Brucellosis among laboratory workers in the military lab notorious for its work on biological weapons. In 1947, seventeen laboratory workers at Camp Detrick, Maryland were infected with their own Brucella agent. The course of their illness was well documented by military officials and allows a glimpse of just what the new and improved brucellosis pathogen could do. The most common symptoms of Brucellosis were still present, extreme fatigue, undulating fever and headaches; but the infection was not readily identified in any particular organ or system. Furthermore, the fatigue lasted long after all other evidence of illness had disappeared, and it was made worse upon exertion. The illness 'often recurred far into the period of convalescence.' Sound familiar?

The Brucella pathogen had obviously become more virulent than it's natural counterpart, since all laboratory workers had been vaccinated against brucellosis. The authors' write: "One can imagine how virulent the agent must have been if seventeen people, vaccinated against the disease, wearing protective clothing, and taking other precautions, still became infected by it." Ten years later, in another report, 60 cases of brucellosis infection were documented in (Camp) Fort Detrick laboratory workers. The number sick had multiplied by over 280% in just ten years.

Results from the early tests, and from the military's own unfortunate outbreak, seemed to indicate that the Brucellosis pathogen worked quite nicely; however, there was one problem. Too many victims, over time, recovered. The military wanted a more permanently disabling agent. Welcome Scrapie.

Scrapie is a infectious agent that causes 'mad cow disease' in sheep, and is very closely linked to Creutzfeld Jacob disease in humans; a disease that, incidentally, we didn't hear very much about until recently either. There is evidence that the Japanese military experimented with this pathogen in New Guinea during World War 2. After the war, and with the captured Japanese information at their disposal, the U.S. Military began studying this agent of disease. Scrapie is caused by a prion; a sub viral particle that causes neurological damage. Brucellosis could, in some instances, cause neurological damage, but generally did not. Scrapie, on its own, affected just the brain; brucellosis, on its own, affected the rest of the body. The researchers hoped that by mutating the brucellosis pathogen with the Scrapie prion, they would have just the agent they needed; one which combined the systemic damage potential of Brucellosis with the neurological damage of Scrapie.

The authors of The Brucellosis Triangle claim that in the late 1970's, researchers were able to combine the two agents, and thus create the pathogen responsible for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Hence, in the early 1980's we began seeing outbreaks of the modern day version of CFS/FM. This man made disease presents with a complication generally not seen in the historical outbreaks, neurological damage. In addition, relatively few modern day victims recover, in contrast to the usually good recovery rates seen in the historical outbreaks. It would seem that the military was successful in their endeavors to create a permanently disabling agent, that would inflict massive suffering on its victims.

The laboratory created bacterial toxin presenting as the sub viral particle has been variously labeled an 'amyloid' and a prion. It works by attatching itself to a gene in either the cell nuclei or the mitochondria. There it will remain inactive until the opportunity for it to begin growing presents itself. A triggering trauma such as a physical injury, vaccination, intense stress, chemcial exposure is usually necessary for the amyloid to begin its process of fibril generation. Essentially what happens is this. The amyloid begins growing, sending out 'fingers', if you will, of protein. This growth disables or kills the cell, by interfering with the ability of the mitochondria to provide the cell with energy. The cell then breaks down into nucleic acid and circulates in the blood, where parts of the DNA will infect other cells and begin the process again. In addition, some of the nucleic acid particles will break down into uric acid, which will crystallize in joints and muscles and cause pain. The brucellosis component allows this process to take place in all the major systems of the body, while the Scrapie component allows it to take place in the brain. The amyloid and its protein fibrils will present as lesions on affected organs.

The authors claim that this Brucellosis/Scrapie toxin is the same agent responsible for a host of other diseases, all of which have also been increasing in incidence since the early 1980's. The author's base this theory upon the multitude of common symptoms shared between these diseases, the information discussed earlier about other diseases appearing in the historical outbreaks of CFS; and on information provided by one of the government scientists who appears to have played a key role in developing the Brucellosis/Scrapie toxin. In the scientists own words:

"Data from both the virus laboratory and from epidemiological studies have accumulated which suggest that multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, disseminated lupus erythematosus, juvenile (type 1, insulin-dependent) diabetes, polymyositis, some forms of chronic arthritis, and even schizophrenia may be slow virus infections with a masked and possible defective virus as their cause." (page 103)

The author's suggest that the Brucellosis/Scrapie subviral particle fits the description of a defective virus, and is likely the underlying agent responsible for these diseases which seem to be skyrocketing out of control. They hypothesize that the illness that one will develop, or whether one remains symptom free, depends, to a large extent, upon genetic makeup. However, they don't rule out the possibility that different combinations of Brucella species (ie. B. abortus, B. melitensis, B. Suis) or combinations with other disease causing agents could account for the differences in pathology. Nevertheless, all of these illnesses share the core symptoms of brucellosis and the authors feel certain that brucellosis plays a role in all.

Also introduced in The Brucellosis Triangle is the concept that these illnesses are contagious; in fact, highly contagious. This fact has been documented by the clusters of outbreaks among civilians, both historically and recently; and more ominously, by the outbreak that occurred among vaccinated workers in military labs. The government's own documents indicate that they were working on pathogens that could be transmitted by primary aerosol or insect vector only. That is, the only was to contract the disease would be if you inhaled the actual crystal or were bitten by an insect that was infected. They did not want to create a pathogen that was readily and easily transmitted from person to person, because to do so would unleash a scourge upon all mankind. The authors suggest that in this respect, the researchers failed. That is how, from a few relatively isolated test sites during the 1980's, we have come to have such high incidences of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. In this respect, the pathogen did not perform as expected and spread throughout the population.

The Brucellosis Triangle, like The Extremely Unfortunate Skull Valley Incident, introduces readers to concepts unimaginable to the average citizen, myself included. Extensive supporting details are developed, making it sometimes difficult to relate one concept to another, especially with brainfog. However, conspiracy theories aside, the Brucellosis/Scrapie theory makes a lot of sense in terms of clinical presentation, [see 'Note' p. ], the exploding incidence of neurodegenerative systemic diseases worldwide and explains the similarities with other diseases that so closely resemble ME/FM.

In my opinion, these books are a must read for anyone actively studying Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. Students of these illnesses will link the authors' accounts with the conclusions of other independent researchers, and will find telling information in the backgrounds of many prominent players in the modern day CFS/FM drama.

It is well recognized that many countries of the world possess biological weapons. The United States, as world military leader, would therefore possess them as well. These agents had to be developed, and then tested to ensure that they would perform to expectations should they be needed in wartime. Granted, it would be difficult to recruit volunteers to willingly sample the latest biowar weapons. Therefore, this testing would need to be done on unwitting populations. Are we the result of this process? I don't know.

A simplified explanation: Imagine that the bacteria is the envelope, and the disease causing agent is contained inside that envelope. Modern day lab tests look for the envelope, the immune system recognizes envelopes and works to destroy them, and antibiotics target the envelope; and by destroying the envelope, destroy the disease causing agent. The researchers were able to remove the disease causing agent from the envelope (the bacteria). This produced an agent of pure disease. The immune system cannot cope with this pure toxin because it is geared toward destroying (bacterial) envelopes, tests that indicate the presence of envelopes show nothing, and antibiotics which destroy envelopes are useless.

Summary © Fran Alberts 1998. Book: Scott, Donald W. & Scott, William L. C. 1998. The Brucellosis Triangle. The Chelmsford Publishers, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. No longer in print though used copies may be found or special ordered through some online booksellers.

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