Two things amazed me when I read the article by Christine Bahls on Alzheimer research.1 Certainly the huge amount of funding [was one]. Also the fact that, as far as I could see, no research appears to be directed toward identifying whether any infective processes are involved.

I am not the only one who believes that many of the diseases we have termed idiopathic, meaning the cause of the disease had not been elucidated, are indeed of infective origin. In the last few years many diseases branded as idiopathic have turned out to be of an infective origin, the best known being peptic ulceration. Cases of multiple sclerosis (MS), fibromyalgia (FM), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are increasing in prevalence, and the increase cannot be attributed to an aging population; the age at which the diseases are being diagnosed has diminished. With the possibility that infective agents are responsible,...

Interested in reading more?

Magaizne Cover

Become a Member of

Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!