[CH] TMV
Peter Moss (pmoss@yoda.alt.za)
Sat, 16 Dec 2000 14:47:05 RSA-2
> Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 17:25:31 -0500
> From: "byron bromley" <byron.bromley@gsd-co.com>
Byron
We have been through all this before.
> You have killed it 3 times isn't that enough?
You have probably killed the virus in the batch made. What
about the unused tobacco, working surfaces, the persons hands
and clothing, the container the tobacco came in, the place
where it was dumped and stored for starters? Obviously this is
not a problem where TMV has been eradicated and the source of
the tobacco product is known.
I can not answer for the rest of the world. Can you?
SA produces its own seed because of regional differences in
climate, soil, growth habit and production results desired.
The research station I visited some years back most certainly
had a TMV resistance breeding program in place. TMV was
considered a major problem and I have no difficulty in believing
that any tobacco grown in Africa has the potential risk
attached.
Some/much of this is exported, see Zimbabwe. I think the amount
of chewing tobacco produced by other countries is small to
insignificant. However most will have available waste material
in the form of tobacco dust. Often sold as garden/lawn
material. The potential of contamination is far greater from
this product if the source plants are infected or are carries.
The farm visited in Jamaica by Jim and Dave suffered from the
results of TMV. As you know there are plenty of other host
plants. It is even possible that tobacco was not responsible.
Right now I do not have the time to research this aspect. I
don't think TMV infection and growth is fast and the results
often take more that a season to show major damage to the
plant. Where new plants are planted each year into infected
ground as established seedlings the home grower may not even
notice. For those of us lucky enough to live in areas where
plants survive four or more years it is not something to be
welcomed.
I still have not had an answer to the question. IF TMV has not
been SEEN in USA tobacco does that mean it is not present or
that the plants do not suffer from the virus but can still act
as a host/carrier? The tobacco industry is mainly interested in
appearence of the leaf. To them the above is one and the same.
not the same.
As noted the US is not the only place in the world tobacco is
grown. There is no doubt that early shipments of seeds/plants to
other parts of the world were contaminated with TMV. I doubt if
any of the poorer countries purchase much seed from the US.
Most other large growing countries will have there own seed
breeding and production facilities. Does Cuba or Turkey
purchase all/much seed from the US?
I think it is just showing responsibility in noting that there
may be a potential problem in using raw tobacco products. That
care should be exercised if the non-existence of TMV can not be
confirmed. Maybe the risk then is not worth the effort in
maintaining a TMV free area and producing an uncontaminated
product or work environment. Other safer products can be found
or refined tobacco products used.
Put another way given a substance infected with Ebola virus
and your home manufacturing methods and treatment would you drink
the results or be anywhere within 10 miles of the infected
substance? I think not.
Disease is spread by ignorance and not taking care and
precautions. If there is a risk for some potential users and
there most certainly is in this case. Why do you insist that the
product is safe to make and use without precaution by all when
it probably is not.
Unless you can show that raw tobacco products anywhere in the
world have no risk of infection. A sensible and responsible
approach would be to recognise the potential risk to others and
inform them of those risks, precautions and safety aspects
needed when dealing with a possible virus infection. What's
difficult about that?
Peter
--
Peter Moss
After one hundred and fifty years and many thousands of firearms
control laws to reduce crime the list of successes should be
long and illustrious. Where is the list?