51 People Died in Germany Unnecessarily

During 2011, 51 people in Germany died from eating bean sprouts contaminated with  E.coli O104 H04. Two people died in the U.S. and 3,950 people were reported sick. The number who were sick was probably much higher because only a small number get reported to public health authorities.

This strain of E.coli was very hard to cure because of antibiotic resistance.

The doctors were offered Bacteriophage (phage) that could kill E.coli O104H04. It was being used by veterinarians to cure animals with the same type of bacteria. It was also available from labs that were doing research. The doctors said NO. If only they had said yes, some of the people could have been saved.

Germany is a signatory to the Helsinki Accords, which guarantees human rights.The most important human right is the right to life. In such an urgent case, they could have used bacteriophage. There is a doctor in France who presently uses bacteriophage in life-or-death cases. Yet Germany did not.

This is no wonder! Phage therapy has not been taught in medical school since the 1940s. The doctors from that era are long retired. Everyone has read about bacterial resistance but no one has heard of phage therapy. Not doctors, not their patients, not the politicians.

In a recent phage therapy conference, the the attendees were the same people who have been attending for years. The scientists and doctors who are familiar with this life-saving treatment are not doing a good job of expanding their base.

This is the reason I started my campaign to start a non-profit: to educate people about phage therapy, to financially support research. According to the FDA, it would cost 10 to 50 million to do a drug trial on a phage therapy cure. I may not ever raise enough money to do a trial. But I can do a lot of good by teaming up with other organizations to get trials done.

When I started this campaign, I knew it would be hard because I was talking about something that very few people have heard about. I do not have a PhD or a white doctor’s coat. What I do have is a passion. I have a plan. But it takes money to get this plan started. I need your help.

I know that everyone can not contribute large amounts of money. But even $5 dollars helps. Everything adds up. Here is a Link to the Campaign .  

Questions  email me