- Compelling evidence of a link between MMR, autism and
bowel disease has emerged in research carried out for a landmark legal
battle.
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- Experts say children suffering autism and gut disorders
have the same strain of the measles virus in their bowel, blood and spinal
fluid as the one used in the triple jab.
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- The findings are the closest scientists have come to
proving a causal link between the jab, autism and painful gut disorders.
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- But campaigners claim authorities are trying to prevent
the evidence being made public after legal aid was withdrawn from more
than 1,000 families suing vaccine manufacturers.
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- It means their case - seen as a crucial test of whether
MMR is safe - is unlikely to go ahead because the families will probably
not be able to afford to continue their fight against drug firms GlaxoSmithKline,
Merck and Co and Aventis Pasteur MSD.
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- Legal aid bosses said yesterday that they were 'mistaken'
to have backed the families' case, which has already received 15million
of taxpayers' money to help fund the research.
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- Richard Miles, whose 14-year-old autistic son Robert
is involved in the case, said: 'It seems incredible that the scientists
can come this far and then the powers that be decide that we should not
take the case to court.'
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- Seven children involved in the legal battle had their
spinal fluid tested by pathologist Professor John O'Leary, of Trinity College
in Dublin.
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- The measles virus was found in three samples of spinal
fluid. One of these was an MMR strain but doctors were unable to identify
the other two.
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- 'No measles should have been there in the first place
but for the MMR strain to be found in spinal fluid is unheard of,' a source
said yesterday.
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- 'It is extremely supportive of a causal link between
MMR and autism and bowel disorders.' Around 100 bowel tissue and blood
samples taken from autistic children by the Royal Free Hospital in London
were also tested.
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- © 2003, YellowBrix, Inc.
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- http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=42342181&ID
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