PLAN COLOMBIA 1

Your article on Plan Colombia (March 2003) article is full of half-truths or
indeed half-lies, gleaned from the publications of the Sunshine Project -
'an international NGO opposed to use of biological weapons'. 1 think not.
This organisation, 1 would contend, has a more sinister agenda judging from
their strident 1 propaganda' which has been circulated at international
meetings over the past few years. These pseudo-scientific documents are full
of the spin and half-truths which your article propagates.

Fusarium oxysporum is a slime-spored fungus with absolutely no ability for
airborne dispersal and which has never been implicated in human diseases
such as asthma. There are numerous other species in dryspored genera, such
as Aspergillus and Penicillium, which cause bronchial-pulmonary problems and
which are also much more dangerous to immuno-compromised patients.

The specific strain of F. oxysporum from coca has been tested since we were
involved in this initial selection and screening of EN-4. It is safe,
specific to the coca host and would be applied in granular rather than an
aerosol form because it is a slime-spored soil fungus which attacks the
roots not the aerial parts.

Labelling the genus Fusarium as a human health problem, on the basis that
some species (not F oxysporum) can invade predisposed animal tissue and also
produce mycotoxins, is irresponsible journalism. Why not report that all
commercial mycoprotein (ie Quorn) is also based on a Fusarium species IF
graminearum

Dr HC Evans DSc, Biological Control of Weeds and Plant Diseases, CABI
Bioscience Ascot, UK