Dr. Russell Blaylock: Vaccine May Be More Dangerous Than Swine Flu

Socio-Economics History Blog Link to article:

What the good doctor say is true. Don’t be taken for a ride. So what if you catch this mild 3-4 days flu. It is even weaker than seasonal flu. We need to counter all the MSM propaganda BS that we should look to vaccines to save us! Dr Blaylock writes :
An outbreak of swine flu occurred in Mexico this spring that eventually affected 4,910 Mexican citizens and resulted in 85 deaths. By the time it spread to the United States, the virus caused only mild cases of flu-like illness.

Thanks to air travel and the failure of public health officials to control travel from Mexico, the virus spread worldwide. Despite predictions of massive numbers of deaths and the arrival of doomsday, the virus has remained a relatively mild disease, something we know happens each year with flu epidemics.
Worldwide, there have only been 311 deaths out of 70,893 cases of swine flu. In the United States, 27,717 cases have resulted in 127 deaths. Every death is a tragedy, but such a low death rate should not be the basis of a draconian government policy.

It is helpful to recall that the Centers for Disease Control with the collusion of the media, constantly tell us that 36,000 people die from the flu each year, a figure that has been shown to be a lie. In this case, we are talking about 300 plus deaths for the entire world.
This virus continues to be an enigma for virologists. In the April 30, 2009 issue of Nature, a virologist was quoted as saying,“Where the hell it got all these genes from we don’t know.” Extensive analysis of the virus found that it contained the original 1918 H1N1 flu virus, the avian flu virus (bird flu), and two new H3N2 virus genes from Eurasia. Debate continues over the possibility that swine flu is a genetically engineered virus.
Naturally, vaccine manufacturers have been in a competitive battle to produce the first vaccine. The main contenders have been Baxter Pharmaceuticals and Novartis Pharmaceuticals, the latter of which recently acquired the scandal-ridden Chiron vaccine company. Both of these companies have had agreements with the World Health Organization to produce a pandemic vaccine.

The Baxter vaccine, called Celvapan, has had fast track approval. It uses a new vero cell technology, which utilizes cultured cells from the African green monkey. This same animal tissue transmits a number of vaccine-contaminating viruses, including the HIV virus.
The Baxter company has been associated with two deadly scandals. The first event occurred in 2006 when hemophiliac components were contaminated with HIV virus and injected in tens of thousands of people, including thousands of children. Baxter continued to release the HIV contaminated vaccine even after the contamination was known.

The second event occurred recently when it was discovered that Baxter had released a seasonal flu vaccine containing the bird flu virus, which would have produced a real world pandemic, to 18 countries. Fortunately, astute lab workers in the Czech Republic discovered the deadly combination and blew the whistle before a worldwide disaster was unleashed.

Despite these two deadly events, WHO maintains an agreement with Baxter Pharmaceuticals to produce the world’s pandemic vaccine. Novartis, the second contender, also has an agreement with WHO for a pandemic vaccine. Novartis appears to have won the contract, since their vaccine is near completion. What is terrifying is that these pandemic vaccines contain ingredients, called immune adjuvants that a number of studies have shown cause devastating autoimmune disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and lupus.
Animal studies using this adjuvant have found them to be deadly. A study using 14 guinea pigs found that when they were injected with the special adjuvant, only one animal survived. A repeat of the study found the same deadly outcome.

So, what is this deadly ingredient? It is called squalene, a type of oil. The Chiron company, maker of the deadly anthrax vaccine, makes an adjuvant called MF-59 which contains two main ingredients of concern—squalene and gp120. A number of studies have shown that squalene can trigger all of the above-mentioned autoimmune diseases when injected.

The MF-59 adjuvant has been used in several vaccines. These vaccines, including tetanus and diphtheria, are the same vaccines frequently associated with adverse reactions.
I reviewed a number of studies on this adjuvant and found something quite interesting. Several studies done on human test subjects found MF-59 to be a very safe immune adjuvant. But when I checked to see who did these studies, I found—to no surprise—that they were done by the Novartis Pharmaceutical Company and Chiron Pharmaceutical Company, which have merged. They were all published in “prestigious” medical journals. Also, to no surprise, a great number of studies done by independent laboratories and research institutions all found a strong link between MF-59 and autoimmune diseases.

Squalene in vaccines has been strongly linked to the Gulf War Syndrome. On August 1991, Anthony Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs admitted that soldiers vaccinated with the anthrax vaccine from 1990 to 1991 had an increased risk of 200 percent in developing the deadly disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. The soldiers also suffered from a number of debilitating and life-shortening diseases, such as polyarteritis nodosa, multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, transverse myelitis (a neurological disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord), endocarditis (inflammation of the heart’s inner lining), optic neuritis with blindness and glomerulonephritis (a type of kidney disease).

Because squalene, the main ingredient in MF-59, can induce hyperimmune responses and induce autoimmunity, a real danger exists for prolonged activation of the brain’s immune cells, the microglia. This type of prolonged activation has been strongly associated with such diseases as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS and possibly vaccine-related encephalitis. It has been shown that activation of the systemic immune system, as occurs with vaccination, rapidly activates the brain’s microglia at the same time, and this brain inflammation can persist for long periods.
So, how would the gp120 get into the brain? Studies of other immune adjuvants using careful tracer techniques have shown that they routinely enter the brain following vaccination. What most people do not know, even the doctors who recommend the vaccines, is that most such studies by pharmaceutical companies observe the patients for only one to two weeks following vaccination—these types of reactions may take months or even years to manifest.

It is obvious that the vaccine manufacturers stand to make billions of dollars in profits from this WHO/government-promoted pandemic. Novartis, the maker of the new pandemic vaccine, recently announced that they would not give free vaccines to impoverished nations—everybody pays.
One must keep in mind that once the vaccine is injected, there is little you can do to protect yourself—at least by conventional medicine. It will mean a lifetime of crippling illness and early death.
There are much safer ways to protect oneself from this flu virus, such as higher doses of vitamin D3, selective immune enhancement using supplements, and a good diet.

Does virus vaccine increase the risk of cancer?

GERMAN HEALTH EXPERT'S SWINE FLU WARNING

Bild.com August 1, 2009 Link:

The swine flu vaccine has been hit by new cancer fears after a German health expert gave a shock warning about its safety.

Lung specialist Wolfgang Wodarg (left) has said that there are many risks associated with the vaccine for the H1N1 virus.

He has grave reservations about the firm Novartis who are developing the vaccine and testing it in Germany. The vaccination is injected “with a very hot needle”, Wodarg said.

The nutrient solution for the vaccine consists of cancerous cells from animals and "we do not know if there could be an allergic reaction".

But more importantly, some people fear that the risk of cancer could be increased by injecting the cells.

The vaccine - as Johannes Löwer, president of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, has pointed out - can also cause worse side effects than the actual swine flu virus.

Wodrag also described people’s fear of the pandemic as an "orchestration": “It is great business for the pharmaceutical industry,” he told the ‘Neuen Presse’.

Swine flu is not very different from normal flu. “On the contrary if you look at the number of cases it is nothing compared to a normal flu outbreak,” he added.

The chairman of the health committee in the European Council has urged for a careful and calm reaction to the virus.

Up until now, the producers of the vaccine did not know how many orders they would have by the autumn, but the German Government is now a guaranteed customer.

Even the pharmaceutical companies are trying to exploit the fear of the swine flu pandemic.

Multiculturalism - Europeans Guillotined From Their Cultures

Part 3 - Personal Stories
By Frosty Wooldridge
9-10-9 Link:

If you look at the horrendous social consequences growing in France, United Kingdom, Holland, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Spain, Canada and elsewhere-you cannot wonder who dreamed up the concept of 'multiculturalism'. Did they take into account human nature? Anthropological realities? Different tribes? Antagonistic cultures?

Immigrant citizens now bomb subways in England, trains in Spain, riots in Sweden and create growing slums in Amsterdam.

Given enough time, every human tribe attempts to become dominant. By sheer numbers, cultures work toward power. Notice that major religions like Catholics attempt to become dominant. You may observe Mormons sending their kids out across the world for two years to add more numbers. Muslims invaded Europe centuries ago, but suffered defeat. Today, Libya's Kaddafi said, "Allah smiles upon us in that we do not need to bomb or conquer Europe. Islam will become the dominant culture by mid century by peaceful immigration."

Sweden, called the most successful society on this planet, recently suffered horrific clashes from its growing Muslim population that hates Jews. Instead of enjoying a tennis match with Israel in Malmo, Sweden, Swedish-Muslims firebombed and threatened to kill the Jews. You may see the results of multiculturalism: 

http://vodpod.com/watch/1428923-sweden-in-grip-of-islam

If not for those Muslim immigrants, the tennis matched would have been enjoyed by all Swedes! With 70 percent unemployment among Muslims, crime exploded, rapes tripled--but the local Islam imam said, "The best Islamic state in the world is Sweden!"

If you look into British society, you find two distinct and separate sections of once peaceful England. Muslims don't like the British and the British tolerate the Muslims.

The same separation occurs in France. A French reader, Brigitte, said. "I believe the unfettered immigration into the USA is but one aspect of the "divide and conquer" rule of imperialism. As long as immigrants from all over the world are permitted to remain in the US, the "living space" (Lebensraum of the Nazis) they occupy--is denied English-speaking U.S. citizens.

"The multiculturalism that is being promoted creates resentment in the Anglo-Americans, which they dare not voice because it's not politically correct to do so. It exists nevertheless and is building pressure and could one day find expression in brutality, perhaps mass slaughter, towards all aliens.

"Meanwhile the Puerto Rican Day parade is only one of a great number, each country having its own day and parade to display nationalistic and cultural pride in their country of origin and woe to whoever grumbles.

"This two-part policy is effective in feeding resentment on the part of the Anglo-Americans, contempt for the Anglos on the part of the immigrants, and thus the success in keeping all people of different origins estranged from one another is achieved.

"As long as Anglo-Americans are kept down by the multicultural ideology, they will not find common ground with the aliens, or alien-looking people. So the unity that would give strength to the people (united we stand) will never happen and imperialism will flourish. Here in France it's just the same."

My Mexican antagonist, Subcommandante Pedro read my latest column. He responded:

"In Boulder, Colorado, where I formerly taught school-rich, white, liberal mothers, driving $50,000 SUVs, sported bumper stickers that read, "Celebrate Diversity". However, they drove their kids to all white schools away from legal immigrant enclaves that overwhelmed area schools."

"Stupid, racist, lazy white cows! It is because of idiots like this that La Raza will emerge victorious. These are the dumbasses that voted our beloved Obama in on a landslide. Don't worry Mr. Frosty, when the time comes these will be the first to go. They'll probably still be talking about the "joys of tolerance" as the guillotine drops. Dumb stupid honkeys! God Bless America LMFMAO (Second "M" stands for "Mexican")!" Cordially, SubComandante Pedro, MeCHA Brown Berets Infiltration Brigades, LA, Alta CA, Aztlan

Another reader said, "In my view until we speak from our historical voice as the founding Nation of this country we do not have the standing that is necessary to even be listened to let alone have any power and influence. Especially concerning the all important policy of immigration! We are now the only community that has no name and no standing in the current environment of radical transformation of the U.S.! We are under a savage assault in every sector that determines a peoples' identity and past!  It is led by our own institutions and leaders. The ideology and game plan is one crafted by these transnational ethnic/religious elites.

"Now we have the parent of our Democratic Republic, England, trying to stamp out the capacity of the native English to defend their country, civilization, identity, and past against the assault meant to destroy all of these Nation building and preservation dynamics and values!"

This reader wrote, "Your efforts and the knowledge you give to people is very appreciated. There are not many honest men as you left anymore it seems--not on the subject of the illegals--since the profits are so vast and so enticing.

"I am a student at one of the biggest illegals running factories probably in the nation. The school is Metropolitan State College of Denver. I have been sworn at in online classes, and insulted. The professors are so in the agenda of the college that they allow even profane comments to be made to students who say anything even remotely against their agenda for the illegals. If you are a Caucasian--you better be prepared to denounce your ethnicity in order to survive at Metro and get that precious little degree.

"Everyone who is 'White" at Metro is terrorized--they are all frightened to be put out of the college if they don't say what is demanded. You know, how the "Whites' have caused untold suffering to minorities since the beginning of time--and now we must understand and accept our new incoming people--the onslaught of the illegals for the profiteering, looters and robber capitalists.

"Metro's clumsy president, Stephen Jordan is allowing me to be attacked by other students and the professors in each of my classes-- for several semesters now--that it is more and more looking like that they have an axe to grind with me! Essentially I am being discriminated against over my race--and their preference in folks of another race--and those others are, of course, the illegals.

"It is absolutely a take-over with this college undermining our nation--my people, my culture and my countrymen.

"Title IV Federal financial aid, specifically prohibits racial discrimination in order for a college or university to participate in Title IV programs. The CFR's are specific on that--but the U.S. Department of Education doesn't care about Federal Regulations--because actually, in fact ED is just as much involved in the illegals business as the college!

"Offices of civil rights in education, only deal with minorities complaints--- never Caucasian complaints. What a horrific mess--to be terrorized over this and have my degree on the line!"

A reader in Canada said, "We have booths for different cultures up here in Montreal at our fairs. But, very few visit the Canadian booth. One immigrant said, "Canada is not a country any more. We are all immigrants to this multicultural society.""

If mass immigration continues adding 200,000 more people from disparate cultures from around the world into the USA monthly and well over 2.4 million annually-they will displace our national language, our culture and our way of life.

The United States speeds toward becoming a dysfunctional, unstable and hopelessly multicultural civilization. The metaphor of the Tower of Babel explains our plight.

_______

To take action: First and foremost, join www.numbersusa.com and become one of nearly a million Americans making impact with pre-written faxes and phone calls to change immigration policies toward a stable future. Bi-partisan and highly effective!

Children Who Get the Flu Vaccine Have Three Times Risk Of Hospitalization For Flu, Study Suggests

Global Research, August 21, 2009

ScienceDaily - 2009-05-20

The inactivated flu vaccine does not appear to be effective in preventing influenza-related hospitalizations in children, especially the ones with asthma. In fact, children who get the flu vaccine are more at risk for hospitalization than their peers who do not get the vaccine, according to new research that will be presented on May 19, at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.

Flu vaccine (trivalent inactivated flu vaccine—TIV) has unknown effects on asthmatics.

"The concerns that vaccination maybe associated with asthma exacerbations have been disproved with multiple studies in the past, but the vaccine's effectiveness has not been well-established," said Avni Joshi, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. "This study was aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the TIV in children overall, as well as the children with asthma, to prevent influenza-related hospitalization."

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children aged six months to 18 years. The National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (3rd revision) also recommends annual flu vaccination of asthmatic children older than six months.

In order to determine whether the vaccine was effective in reducing the number of hospitalizations that all children, and especially the ones with asthma, faced over eight consecutive flu seasons, the researchers conducted a cohort study of 263 children who were evaluated at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota from six months to 18 years of age, each of whom had had laboratory-confirmed influenza between 1996 to 2006. The investigators determined who had and had not received the flu vaccine, their asthma status and who did and did not require hospitalization. Records were reviewed for each subject with influenza-related illness for flu vaccination preceding the illness and hospitalization during that illness.

They found that children who had received the flu vaccine had three times the risk of hospitalization, as compared to children who had not received the vaccine. In asthmatic children, there was a significantly higher risk of hospitalization in subjects who received the TIV, as compared to those who did not (p= 0.006). But no other measured factors—such as insurance plans or severity of asthma—appeared to affect risk of hospitalization.

"While these findings do raise questions about the efficacy of the vaccine, they do not in fact implicate it as a cause of hospitalizations," said Dr. Joshi. "More studies are needed to assess not only the immunogenicity, but also the efficacy of different influenza vaccines in asthmatic subjects."

Codex misinformation creates public confusion

alliance for natural health Updated: 12 Feb 2009 Link:

Are you confused over what impact Codex will have on food and dietary supplements?  If so, we're not surprised, given the rampant misinformation about Codex that abounds on the internet.

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If you don't know what Codex is, find out more at the
ANH Codex campaign page

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Misinformation takes people’s eyes off the real problems

There is presently a lot of information circulating on the internet about Codex—and its potential imminent impact on the banning of food (dietary) supplements including vitamins, minerals and herbs—that is inaccurate.

The misinformation is feeding people’s fears and is preventing them, especially in Europe, from using what democratic powers still remain to influence legal processes that will, in the short-term, have a far bigger impact on their access to natural health products.  This is particularly the case for the nearly 500 million people living in the 27 Member States of Europe, where it is European Directives and Regulations that present the main risk to their continued access to beneficial natural health products.

Much of the misinformation appears to stem from the US-based Natural Solutions Foundation (NSF), and in particular, a youtube-released video called Nutricide featuring NSF's medical director, Dr Rima Laibow.

For two different assessments of the relevance of Codex to natural health—which should go a long way towards helping you to separate the facts from the myths—please refer to the two articles referenced below:

• ANH’s newly revised Codex campaign page (that now also deals directly with the issue of Codex misinformation)
• An article, ‘Codex and Health Freedom—Beware of the ‘Instant Experts’ on the Dr Rath Foundation website

Will Codex ban food supplements from 31st December 2009?

One of the rumours that abounds suggests that Codex will ban a wide variety of food supplements as of 31 December 2009.  This is wrong. This date refers to the end of the transition phase of theEuropean Food Supplements Directive which brings in a ban after this date of any vitamin or mineral food supplement that has yet to be approved on the Directive's positive list (Annex II).

This means that many food supplements containing vitamins and minerals that have not been approved as safe and bioavailable by the European Food Safety Authority will indeed be banned from 1 January 2010.  But it is not Codex that is causing these bans—it is the European Directive. The same European Directive will also likely impose restrictions on maximum dosages on vitamins and minerals in 2010—and this is something that the ANH, together with a number of other organisations, such as the Irish Association of Health Stores, are working very hard to counter.  But again, these restrictions on dosages are not the result of Codex, but are the effects of the EU Directive.

In fact, it is the mechanism by which restrictions are occurring in Europe that are forming the basis for the Codex Guideline on Vitamin and  Mineral Food Supplements—which is just one of some 300 guidelines and standards to be produced by the inter-governmental Codex Alimentarius Commission.

At present, the US-based National Health Federation is the only health freedom organisation to have 'observer status' at Codex meetings. While the NHF has can potentially influence decisions in Codex meetings, as a non-governmental organisation, it has no voting rights.

UK Petition on Codex at No 10 Downing Street

Another misinformed, but undoubtedly well-meaning, action is the petition to the UK government on Codex at No 10 Downing Street, London.  You can find this petition at:http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Vitamins/#detail.

This petition indicates that Codex will cause herbal/vitamin/mineral food supplements to become ‘prescription only’.  This is not the case, as Codex Alimentarius deals with all categories of food and has already ratified (in 2005) the text of an international guideline on vitamin and mineral food supplements, which is expected to be finalised—complete with maximum guideline dosages—in around 2012 or 2013. By definition, products compliant with these guidelines will be safeguarded as a category of food (i.e., food supplements) and therefore will not be categorised as medicines.

Of course the petition is only open to British citizens (yet it’s being pushed as far afield as New Zealand) and the more urgent issue is the much more imminent restrictions in Europe being imposed by provisions of European Directives and Regulations that then have a major bearing on Codex.

The relationship between Codex and EU laws on natural health

In many ways, it is more correct to see Codex (with respect to its limited application to natural health issues) as the primary mechanism that allows restrictive European laws to be exported into Codex.  From there it then forms an international guideline for the rest of the world.  It's important then to appreciate that these guidelines cannot directly limit the availability of products—it's only when they are then implemented into national or regional laws that restrictions occur.

Codex member countries, of which there are over 170, are strongly encouraged to adopt Codex guidelines and standards, not just on natural health issues but across all other parts of the food chain, into their national or regional laws.  And to understand more about the consequences of not implementing Codex guidelines and standards, please see both the ANH's Codex campaign and itsSay No to GM campaign.  Here you'll find examples of how the World Trade Organization imposes trade sanctions, that have the capacity to cripple any country other than a super power.

Using your democratic right effectively

For people living in Europe, this is why there is little point in only making your concerns known to your national member of parliament (elected representative).  The laws that will impact you are emerging from Brussels, so it is the European Commission, along with your own government (elected representatives and relevant government ministries) and, and then, very importantly, your Member of the European Parliament (MEP) that are so important to lobby.

Europeans who don’t already know who their MEP is, can find him or her at the following link: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members.do.

Get involved in the ANH campaign

We would also urge you to look at the ANH Get Involved page.

We realise that this is a difficult and complicated issue and we are very committed to trying to help people find their way through the maze.  Please explore our website and think about what ways you can work with us to help ensure that our fundamental right to natural health is not just maintained during our lifetimes, but also for future generations.

Thank you.

The ANH Core Team.

Under Obama Youth Unemployment Reaches New Record

September 7, 2009 (LPAC)—The rate of unemployment for young workers, aged 16 to 19, soared to 25.5 percent in August, the highest recorded level since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began keeping track of such data in 1948. At the onset of the Barack Obama Presidency in January 2009, the unemployment rate for this 16-19 age group was 20.8%; it has grown nearly 5 percentage points.

This represents the massaged official unemployment rate; when the number of those aged 16 to 19 who are working part-time for economic reasons, or who have left the labor force are factored in, the rate is likely 40%. Likewise, the unemployment rate for workers in the 20-to-24 age range surged to 15.1 percent under Obama, but in reality, it is much higher.

This constitutes Obama's "All Youth Left Behind" program. During the Presidential race, he cynically pitched his campaign to the youth in the 16-to-24 age range. Compare what Obama has done, that is absolutely nothing, to President Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, which provided work, skills, social orientation, and hope, to millions of youth.

Flesh-eating superbug killed father in just four hours as coroner warns of 'new horror

DAILY MAIL REPORTER 7th September 2009

Britain is facing ‘a new horror’ from a flesh eating superbug which killed a father just within four hours of him arriving in hospital with leg pains.

Richard Johnson, 54, had been given painkillers for what doctors thought was arthritis.

But when it was realised that he had the infection necrotising fasciitis surgeons amputated his left leg in a bid to save him.

Hospital: Where Richard Johnson, 54, died after having his left leg amputated

They then watched in horror as black areas spread to his abdomen while they were operating, an inquest heard.

Mr Johnson, a shop manager from Crediton, Devon, died just a week after he complained of a sore throat.

A coroner has urged family doctors to be given more information necrotising fasciitis as a result of the case.

The disease, which is becoming more common, is an infection which sweeps through the body, internally and externally, so quickly that it can actually be seen spreading.

Mr Johnson had first been prescribed painkillers by his family doctor Jan Shorney.

He then developed a pain in his left ankle which Dr Shorney and an out-of-hours doctor believed to be arthritis.

His condition deteriorated so quickly that by the time his family rushed him to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital at 3.10 am it was too late to save him.

He was rushed straight into the operating theatre where surgeons tried to cut away the diseased tissue but found the infection was spreading too quickly to control.

Greater Devon coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland recorded a verdict of natural causes on Mr Johnson, who died at 7.00 am on November 18 last year.

A post mortem examination showed he died from septicaemia as a result of the necrotising fasciitis.

She said: ‘My intention is to write to the hospital to confirm the gravity of this case. Information about it is being disseminated and I recommend that is pursued.

‘This is a new horror reaching us and arising in out thoughts and it is important as many GPs are made aware of it as soon as possible and perhaps an early reaction can be stimulated.

‘I do not have any evidence that earlier action would have made a difference in this case.

‘Mr Johnson began to suffer a sore throat in mid November which developed into fulminating necrotising fasciitis.

‘The family have my deepest sympathies for this tragic loss.’

Family doctor Dr Jan Shorney said Mr Johnson visited her on November 11 with a sore throat and she advised him to take painkillers.

He asked for a home visit on November 17, less than 24 hours before he died, and complained of a left ankle which was sore despite having suffered no injury.

There was only slight swelling and no redness and his pulse and temperature were normal and she prescribed stronger painkillers and an anti-inflammatory drug.

She advised him to go into surgery for a blood test if it did not clear up.

He called 45 minutes later to say the pain was not going away and was told to carry on taking the medicines.

He was in so much pain that by 9.30pm his family contacted the out-of-hours service and took him to the walk-in centre at the hospital in Exeter where he was seen by on-call GP Dr Patrick Fingleton.

He examined the swollen ankle and saw no breaks in the skin. He diagnosed arthritis and prescribed oral morphine.

He believed the earlier painkillers had not worked because the patient was also suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting.

He said he was shocked to hear of Mr Johnson’s death and had met the consultant microbiologist at the hospital Dr Marina Morgan to learn more about necrotising fasciitis.

He said: ‘I have been a doctor for 12 years and a GP for five or six years and I have seen a lot of painful ankles and lots of cases of diarrhoea and vomiting but I had never seen a case of necrotising fasciitis.’

Mr Johnson’s condition deteriorated so quickly that his family took him back to the accident and emergency department of the same hospital five and a half hours later.

Consultant plastic surgeon Dr Andrew Watts said he carried out the amputation above the knee but feared it was too late to stop the spread of the disease.

He said: ‘It was clear he was very sick. There was widespread mottling of the abdomen and chest and to some extent the right leg.

‘I discovered he had died at approximately 7.00 am. Unfortunately the outcome is what had been predicted from shortly after he was admitted.’

What is necrotizing fasciitis?

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare infection of the deeper layers of skin.

It can be caused by many types of bacteria, which usually enter via an open wound, for example following surgery.

Despite being known as a ‘flesh-eating’ bug, the bacteria do not actually eat the tissue.

They cause the destruction of skin and muscle by releasing toxins.

Symptoms usually begin with patients complaining of intense pain in the area where the infection began.

In the early stages, signs of inflammation may not appear.

Redness and swollen or hot skin will show up quicker if the bacteria is closer to the surface of the skin.

As the disease progresses, skin colour may change to violet and blisters may form, with tissue then turning black as it dies.

Patients with necrotizing fasciitis typically have a fever and appear very ill. Diarrhoea and vomiting are also common symptoms.

Mortality rates have been noted as high as 73 per cent if left untreated.

Once the disease is diagnosed it is almost always necessary to cut away the infected tissue to stop it from spreading.

Link to this article:

13 more things that don't make sense

NewScientist Link to this article:

Michael Brooks presents thirteen of the most perplexing. Cracking any one of them could yield profound truths.

1.

Axis of evil

Radiation left from the big bang is still glowing in the sky – in a mysterious and controversial pattern

2.

Dark flow

Something unseeable and far bigger than anything in the known universe is hauling a group of galaxies towards it at inexplicable speed

3.

Eocene hothouse

Tens of millions of years ago, the average temperature at the poles was 15 or 20 °C. Now let's talk about climate change

4.

Fly-by anomalies

Space probes using Earth's gravity to get a slingshot speed boost are moving faster than they should. Call in dark matter

5.

Hybrid life

The fusion of two distinct evolutionary lines is not supposed to work – but the seas are teeming with chimeras that prove it can

6.

Morgellons disease

Fatigue? Do you feel insects under your skin? Seen any strange fibres sprouting from your body? Then you've got a disease that's not supposed to exist

7.

The Bloop

During 1997, US undersea monitoring equipment heard a series of sounds far louder than any whale song. They were never heard again

8.

Antimatter mystery

The big bang should have created matter and antimatter in equal amounts – so why didn't the universe disappear in a puff of self-annihilation?

9.

The lithium problem

The universe only contains a third as much lithium as it's supposed to

10

MAGIC results

High-energy radiation from a gamma-ray burst reached Earth 4 minutes later than the lower-energy rays. That's not how Einstein said it would be

11.

The elusive monopole

Why do magnetic poles always come paired as north and south, never alone?

12.

Noise from the edge of the universe

Are dud signals from a gravitational wave detector evidence that the universe is a holographic projection?

13.

The nocebo effect

How a diagnosis of terminal illness can come true – even if it's wrong.

Arctic Sea ghost ship 'was carrying weapons to Iran'

The Arctic Sea cargo ship that disappeared for almost a month earlier this summer, was carrying weapons to Iran and was being tracked by Mossad, the Israeli security service, according to reports.

By Chris Irvine Telegraph.co.uk
Published: 8:05AM BST 06 Sep 2009

The Arctic Sea was officially carrying timber Photo: AP

Mystery has surrounded the ship, officially carrying a cargo of timber worth £1.3 million from Finland to Algeria, since its crew first reported a boarding in Swedish waters on July 24 after a raid by 10 armed English-speaking men posing as anti-narcotics police officers.

It was eventually recovered off the coast of west Africa on August 17. Russia has since charged eight men from Estonia, Latvia and Russia with kidnapping and piracy.

Russian officials have said the alleged pirates demanded a $1.5 million ransom but speculation has grown that the freighter was carrying contraband cargo.

Israeli and Russian security sources have questioned The Kremlin's official explanation, instead arguing that the ship was carrying S-300 missiles, Russia's most advanced anti-aircraft weapon, while undergoing repairs in the Russian port of Kaliningrad, a notorious Baltic smuggling base.

According to reports, Mossad is said to have briefed the Russian government that the shipment had been sold by former military officers linked to the black market, and Russia then dispatched a naval rescue mission. Those who believe Mossad was involved point to a visit to Moscow by Shimon Peres, Israel's president, the day after the Arctic Sea was recovered.

Crew members of the Arctic Sea have since told Russian news reporters that they have been told not to disclose "state secrets" further fuelling the speculation.

A Russian military source told The Sunday Times: “The official version is ridiculous and was given to allow the Kremlin to save face.

“I’ve spoken to people close to the investigation and they’ve pretty much confirmed Mossad’s involvement. It’s laughable to believe all this fuss was over a load of timber. I’m not alone in believing that it was carrying weapons to Iran.”

Another theory is that Mossad concocted the alleged hijacking by setting up a criminal gang, who were unlikely to have known anything about a secret cargo, instead blocking the route to Iran by the mounting media interest.

“Once the news of the hijack broke, the game was up for the arms dealers. The Russians had to act," said a former Russian army officer. "That’s why I don’t rule out Mossad being behind the hijacking. It stopped the shipment and gave the Kremlin a way out so that it can now claim it mounted a brilliant rescue mission.”

As well as Russia facing potential embarrassment, had the missiles reached Iran, it would have significantly strengthened the Islamic republic's air defences. Israeli defence sources told the newspaper that in the event of an attack on Iran's nuclear installations, S-300 missiles would increase Israeli casualties by 50 per cent.

Earlier this week Mikhail Voitenjo, editor of Russia's online Maritime Bulletin, told The Sunday Telegraph he feared for his life after a warning call from a "cold official voice" thought to be an intelligence agent after he speculated the Arctic Sea was smuggling weapons.

Mr Voitenjo, who has since fled the country, said: "Very important government people got involved in this business.

"I ran away because I was afraid." Link: