Viruses and bacteria could be major culprit in Alzheimers, says study
Posted on: 10/Mar/2016 12:01:29 PM
According to a group pf dementia experts, Alzheimer`s diseases may be caused by viruses like herpes. They have called for an urgent investigation into this possible connection. The group pf experts consists of thirty one scientists and clinicians from all over the world including Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Manchester Universities and Imperial College. They have jointly written an articles that says that a major cause of dementia are microbes.
The herpes virus causes cold sores. The chlamydia bacteria and a corkscrew shaped bacteria called spirochete have also been identified as major culprits.
A paper published in The Journal of Alzheimer`s Disease says that it is viral or material infections that cause the plaque build up that leads to cognitive disorders. The paper suggests that dementia could be stopped by targeting these microbes specifically.
An expert from the School of Chemistry at the University of Manchester says, We are saying there is incontrovertible evidence that Alzheimer`s Disease has a dormant microbial component. We can`t keep ignoring all of the evidence. Viruses and bacteria are common in the brains of elderly people, and although they are usually dormant, they can wake up after stress or if the immune system is compromised. Viral infections in the brain are already known to cause symptoms similar to Alzheimer`s and the experts say the link has been neglected for too long. We propose that further research on the role of infectious agents in Alzheimer`s disease causation, including prospective trials of antimicrobial therapy, is now justified.
