Cajun mystery disease, clusters, detox hope

Moving, dying, never diagnosed: Challenges to identifying increasing disease in south Louisiana

Four areas of south Louisiana that are identified as suffering from disease clusters -- two afflicting children -- have been highlighted by E - The Environmental Magazine Sunday. While environmental contaminants are implicated and experts are "unable to pinpoint an exact cause,” one south Louisiana doctor has taken matters into his own hands, ensuring Cajuns finally have a detox center for their increasing mystery diseases since BP's oil catastrophe.

“People move, or die, or their disease is never properly diagnosed," stated Donna Jackson Nakazawa, author of The Autoimmune Epidemic.

"How can we prove, with all these variables, that a toxic exposure in an area caused a group of people to fall ill with a specific set of diseases?”

Nakazawa is part of a growing chorus of voices calling on the government to develop more stringent chemical usage and disposal standards.

The four south Louisiana clusters and respective diseases are Mossville, Calcasieu Parish (Disease: "various"); Coteau, Iberville Parish (Disease: childhood leukemia); New Orleans, Orleans Parish (Disease: Breast Cancer); and Amelia, St. Mary Parish (Disease: Neuroblastoma, spina bifida).

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) defines a "disease cluster" as an unusually large number of people sickened by a disease in a certain place and time.

Regardless of the cause, disease clusters devastate communities with anxiety, emotional and financial difficulties including high medical costs and lowered property values, plus the tremendous burden of the disease.

"Investigations of disease clusters are complex, expensive, and often inconclusive, partly due to limitations in scientific tools for investigating cause-and-effect in small populations," says NRDC. "Preventing pollution is the best way to avoid creating additional disease clusters."

Prevention has been a tough task when the Gulf Operation that began April 20, 2010 included spraying an unprecedented amount of dispersants all along Louisiana's Gulf Coast and the Obama administration failed to stop this human rights abuse.

NRDC says prevention strategies include: 1) Directing and funding federal agencies to swiftly assist state and local officials, and investigate community concerns about potential disease clusters and their causes; 2) Reducing or eliminating toxic releases into air, water, soil and food through stronger environmental controls and tough enforcement of those requirements; and 3) Requiring chemical manufacturers to ensure safety of their products.

Could BP oil 'spill' be the cause?

“There’s no question that’s what the problem is,” Dr. Mike Robichaux told CNN in April 2011 after seeing dozens of patients with sudden chemical related illnesses, including memory loss.

Some of his patients were exposed a very short time while others were exposed a long time, according to Dr. Mike who said, “It’s very difficult to predict from exposure levels.

“The only question is what in this soup of chemicals causing it.”

Dr. Mike said that he’s a compulsive reader and since the onset of the BP oil catastrophe, he’s been laminating every newspaper article on it that five papers have published.

“I defy you to go through that 50 pounds of laminated newspapers and find a single article on health issues.”

New Detox Center

To date, no health claims have been paid by BP for illnesses related to the Oil Spill of 2010, according to the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN) and its associate organization, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper.

"While we have done our best to sound the alarm, awareness alone does not solve a problem," the organizations stated in a written statement on February 7.

In early 2011, Marylee Orr, LEAN's executive director, reached out to Dr. Mike.

A group of local divers experiencing health problems had connected Ms. Orr with Jim Woodward who has managed detoxification programs for many years, including for first responders following the Sept. 11th mass murder in New York City.

"After over a year of struggles, thanks to the dedication of Dr. Mike, Jim and LEAN, we are pleased to announce that the Gulf Coast Detoxification Project has begun," according to the statement.

Not only that. Initial results of the detox center are looking promising.

The facility is operating in Raceland, LA under Dr. Mike's supervision and has treated over a dozen individuals already.

"We hope to continue to be able to share positive stories as the program continues and those suffering find relief."

If you or someone you know have suffered health impacts from the Gulf Oil Spill catastrophe, contact: Gulf Coast Detoxification Project, (985) 664-1394, Raceland, LA 70394.