Herpes and Alzheimer’s: There Seems to be a Connection

Herpes is a common virus that is responsible for causing sores on our mouths and genitals. Though Herpes isn’t life threatening however, it can be very painful. It is a very common infection that remains dormant in our body and resurfacing when general immune resistance of the body may be down to various reasons. As reported by the World Health Organization, it is estimated that nearly two thirds of the world’s population is infected with Herpes simplex virus type 1(HSV-1). As per the researchers, an estimated 3.7 billion people worldwide under the age of 50 are infected with the HSV-1 virus which is the common cause of cold sores.

The type HSV-1 virus usually tends to affect the mouth, while HSV-2 affects the genitals. Both these viruses are contagious and can spread through skin contact or sexually transmitted.

Over the years researchers have found that the same virus that causes cold sores seems to be creating lasting damage in the brain. This discovery could pave new frontiers in treating dementia. It is estimated that more than 30 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s which happens to be the most common form of dementia. The researchers have found very strong evidence that the HSV-1 virus is the cause of Alzheimer’s. This also suggests that effective and safe antiviral drugs that can combat herpes can actually treat or stop people from Alzheimer’s. In all probability if new vaccines are developed, young children can be vaccinated at an early age to save them in the future from the attack of Herpes and in turn Alzheimer’s.

It has been seen during the course of research that Herpes simplex or HSV-1 the one that causes cold sores generally infects people in infancy and remains dormant in the peripheral nervous system and gets activated when the immune system of the body is down due to some ailment or when the person is stressed. During the course of research it was found that the HSV-1 virus was present in the brain of many elderly persons. It conferred a strong risk of Alzheimer’s when it was present in the brain of people who had specific APOE4 gene. This virus can reactivate itself many times over in the brain thus causing cumulative damage, more so in the cases of people having the APOE4 genes, which have 12 times greater risk of being affected by Alzheimer’s.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena

Content: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181019100702.htm