A team of 31 experienced specialists and scientists has just signed an editorial in the Alzheimer’s Disease Journalin which they suggest that certain viruses of the type of herpes could be responsible for this neurodegenerative disease. According to these experts, it is a viral or bacterial infection that would first cause the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain, an aggregate of proteins found in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the number of people worldwide at 47.5 million currently suffering from one of the forms of dementia (i.e. Alzheimer’s disease and related diseases) and its predictions for future decades are 75.6 million people affected in 2030 and 135.5 million in 2050.
“There is compelling evidence that Alzheimer’s disease has a hidden microbial component. We cannot ignore all of this evidence”says Professor Douglas Kell, of the University of Manchester (Great Britain) one of the co-signatories of the article.
Scientists point to the herpes virus, chlamydia and spirochete bacteria as possible causes of the disease. They also claim that antimicrobial drugs could help stop the progression of dementia.
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