Can you catch Alzheimer's Disease?

The Dallas Disability Examiner ^ | October 26, 2009 | Steve Carter

[hennie pennie]

Alzheimer's caused by cold sore virus?

In a connection that sounds borderline preposterous, links have been accumulating between Alzheimer's disease and cold sores....Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1, a type that should not be confused with herpes symplex virus type 2 which is the cause of genital herpes. A growing body of research, suggests that the HSV-1 may also be responsible for the majority of Alzheimer's cases....

"There's clearly a very strong connection," says British researcher, Ruth Itzhaki, Ph.D., speaking one afternoon in her office at the University of Manchester, in northwestern England. A neurobiologist, Itzhaki has spent the better part of two decades studying the link between herpes and Alzheimer's. "I estimate that about 60 percent of Alzheimer's cases could be caused by the virus."

...Itzhaki and her colleague, Matthew Wozniak, Ph.D., published a study in which they searched for the presence of the herpes virus in people's brains. They found that it resided in 90 percent of the amyloid plaques.

"The link between herpes and Alzheimer's has been there for a while, but more people are starting to pay attention," says Howard Federoff, M.D., Ph.D., an expert on neurodegenerative diseases and the executive dean of the school of medicine at Georgetown University. "It's no longer just a curiosity."

[Rockingham]

It can, although such cases are said to be rare. I recommend high quality vitamin and mineral supplements. As we age, our immune systems and our ability to absorb nutrients both decline.

[goseminoles]

All Your Herpes Are Belong To Us

[davisfh]

I imagine that an immature or compromised immune system could be devastated by herpes. In my case, I've always known that it is communicable and have avoided intimate contact such as mouth to mouth kissing during an outbreak. One can show affection with a simple hug and when members of the family understand the situation, it's not a problem. My wife and I have been married 54 years and we have a daughter who is now 42. By simply observing some simple precautions, neither of them have become infected.

I always know when an outbreak is about to occur. In my case, the outbreak always occurs on the lips and there is a tingling sensation which forewarns of the outbreak. I use an expensive product called Abreva immediately and it usually nips the outbreak in the bud early on. My dentist recently told me that another method of decreasing the outbreak's intensity is to apply ice to the affected area.

[hennie pennie]

I think your point is really important. When I did a very small search about HSV-1, on the first page of search results was a link to an article stating that a huge percentage of the population has HSV-1 DNA in their teardrops. Apparently, after infection with a virus, it can appear virtually anywhere in the body??