GE Cotton in Tampons & Bandages Could Give Rise to
Untreatable Gonorrhoea

28 September 2000
Press Release (Accion Ecologica, Ecuador, Institute of Science in Society,
UK, and Grupo de Reflexion Rural, Argentina)

Monsanto's Transgenic Cottons Can Make Gonorrhoea Untreatable
According to UK Government Sources

The information is in the archives of the UK Advisory Committee on Novel
Foods and Processes (ACNFP) which vats applications for commercial approval
of novel foods and animal feed. The strongly worded advice against the
approval of Monsanto's transgenic cotton seed, was given in February 1999
(but was only published earlier this year by the UK Ministry of
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food). At around the same time, the European
Union rejected Monsanto's application for the sale of the transgenic
cottons in Europe.

The aad gene, which confers resistance to the antibiotics streptomycin and
spectinomycin, is present in both Bollgard (insect-protected) and Roundup
Ready (herbicide tolerant) transgenic cottons.

The bacterium responsible for gonorrhoea, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, could
acquire the aad gene from transgenic plant materials during infection of
the mouth and small and large intestine as well as the respiratory tract.
N. gonorrhoeae could also acquire the gene indirectly from other bacteria
in the internal and external environments of animals and human beings,
which can take up the gene from transgenic plant materials. Those other
bacteria can serve as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes.

The principle use of streptomycin is as a second-line drug for
tuberculosis. But it is in the treatment of gonorrhoea that spectinomycin
is most important. It is the drug of choice for treating strains of N.
gonorrhoeae already resistant to penicillin and third generation
cephalosporins, especially during pregnancy.

About 60% of the cotton harvest consist of cotton seed. Cotton seed oil is
extracted for human consumption, while the residue, cotton seed cake is
used in animal feed. Although the Government advice was aimed at cotton
seed, there are other hazards arising from the use of transgenic cotton
itself, which may be why it was rejected by the EU.

"Cotton is used in women's sanitary napkins and tampons, in babies'
nappies, in bandages and other wound dressings." Dr. Elizabeth Bravo, a
biologist from Accion Ecologica, Ecuador, reminds us, "The health impacts
are enormous."

Both transgenic cottons are being grown in millions of hectares in the
United States and China, and exported to other countries. They are also
planted to a smaller extent in Argentina. And Monsanto is trying to
introduce them into Bolivia and other Latin American countries as well as
India and Thailand. Illegal plantings of at least 500 hectares have already
been discovered in Indonesia.

"Why is this important scientific advice from UK Government scientists kept
in the archives for more than a year before it was published?" asked Dr.
Mae-Wan Ho, geneticist and biophysicist from the Institute of Science in
Society (UK). "It could have, and should have, prevented millions of
hectares of transgenic cottons from being planted."

Dr. Bravo and Ho call for all transgenic cotton crops should be destroyed,
and no more should be planted. Meanwhile, people should avoid using
transgenic cotton products, especially in tampons, babies' nappies and
wound dressings. And transgenic cotton seeds should certainly not be used
in food or feed.

Contacts: Dr. Elizabeth Bravo and Dr. Mae-Wan Ho at Amerian Hotel, Buenos
Aires tel: 0351-155-633635 , e-mail: monaco@onenet.com.ar; Dr. Aldolfo Boy,
grupodereflexionrural@hotmail.com