Gulf War Vets Illness Mystery Spreads

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20 -- In the wake of reports of a survey conducted by Sen. Donald Riegle's office that indicates Gulf War Syndrome may be contagious, a Department of Defense spokesperson said the preliminary results released by Sen. Riegle's office do not necessarily indicate that Gulf War Syndrome is communicable.

"We do not have any indication at this point that these things are transmittable to children or spouses, but we have not ruled out the possibility," said Dennis Boxx at the Pentagon's daily briefing.

"If we cannot diagnose it and describe what it is, we then cannot tell you that it is not transmittable," Boxx said, in explainng the problem of determining the causes and effects of Gulf War Syndrome. "But at this point we don't have any indication that it is."

In remarks made July 1 to the Senate, Sen. Riegle said that results taken from 400 of the first 1,000 surveys returned in his study show that more than 75 of the veterans reporting Gulf War Syndrom symptoms said their spouses also show similar symptoms. In addition, 25 percent of theirchildren born before the Persian Gulf War, and 65 percent born after, also show symptoms.