It has been blamed for a variety of medical conditions suffered by soldiers and up to four million Vietnamese.
The study by New Zealand’s scientists could have a big effect on campaigners’ efforts to sue major chemical firms and the US government, correspondents say.
Highly toxic
The US military sprayed some ۸۰m litres of Agent Orange on North and South Vietnam.
The aim was to destroy jungle foliage in order to find communist fighters more easily.
Agent Orange contained highly toxic dioxins which have since been blamed for causing cancers and other illnesses.
They have also been blamed for birth defects suffered by the children and even grandchildren of Vietnam veterans and Vietnamese civilians.
This has been strongly contested by the two main companies which made it - Dow and Monsanto - and the US government, the BBC’s Bill Hayton in Hanoi says.
A team from New Zealand’s Massey University has now shown that the group of ۲۴ Vietnam veterans it tested suffered significant genetic damage, compared with a similar sized group of soldiers who did not serve in Vietnam, our correspondent says.
This may be crucial evidence in the lengthy legal battles still being waged in courts in the US and other countries to prove or disprove the link between Agent Orange and a legacy of illness across three continents, our correspondent says.
_________________________________________________________
Read More
_________________________________________________________
- New bird species discovered in Indonesia
- Genital HPV Infection **Human papilloma viruses
- Trichotillomania
- Why do kids encounter online pornography?
- How Hardcore Pornography Harms Children
- Hope for tuberculosis blood test
- IVF donor sperm shortage revealed
- Mobile phone users ’stressed out’
- Anticipation ‘boosts bad memory’
- IVF donor sperm shortage revealed
- Vegetative patient ‘communicates’
- Elderly ‘at risk of drug errors’
- Call to scrap the term ‘asthma’
- Alzheimer mice memories restored
- Gene for age-related hearing loss
- BBC :Beirut classrooms become clinics
- Agent Orange ’caused gene damage’
- Americans ‘too fat for x-rays’
- Thailand records bird flu death
- Call to label hidden fats in food
- Dark skin ‘does not block cancer’
- Surgical tool trade ethics fears
- Denmark ‘happiest place on earth’
- Stronger beds for obese patients
- Protein link in study of diseases
- Smoking ‘reduces alcohol effect’
- Drug trial rules ’should change’
- Study raises malaria block hopes
- US Senate debates stem cell bill
- Weight loss ‘can herald dementia’
- Clone ‘would feel individuality’
- The WHO announces new standards for registration o...
- Malaria drug potency is restored
