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ALS/Kelly Air Force Base...Is There a Connection? |
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A Follow Up |
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Good Housekeeping Magazine, July 2001, carried a story about five individuals who worked at Kelly Air Force Base and have been diagnosed with ALS. The article highlighted the families and their struggles with the disease. In addition, the article covered Kelly, its problems, its mission, and the Air Force commitment to look into the ALS cases. NBC’s The Early Show also covered the story on June 15, 2001. The article generated a rash on new inquiries from around the United States. Thirty additional questionnaires have been sent to families who responded to the article. As of July 23, 2001, 107 questionnaires have been completed and sent by the South Texas Chapter to the epidemiologists at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio who will be coordinating the studies. Each questionnaire completed is from a family who has had a member who has worked or lived at Kelly Air Force Base and has been diagnosed with ALS. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) recently reported on June 27, 2001, their ongoing study of the Kelly Air Force Base Public Health Investigation. This did not include ALS. The ATSDR has done an academic search into ALS, but will not be involved in actual studies to discover the possible ALS/Kelly connection. The Air Force epidemiology division at Brooks Air Force Base, who will be supervising the ALS studies, is currently understaffed, and will be adding new personnel. The ALS Association continues to meet with the Air Force, The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, The Texas Department of Health and others as observers to the study that will be conducted. Good science will determine the answer.
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