INFECTION=CHRONIC DISEASE?

Emerging Infectious Determinants of Chronic Diseases


Evidence now confirms that noncommunicable chronic diseases can stem from infectious agents. Furthermore, at least 13 of 39 recently described infectious agents induce chronic syndromes. Identifying the relationships can affect health across populations, creating opportunities to reduce the impact of chronic disease by preventing or treating infection. As the concept is progressively accepted, advances in laboratory technology and epidemiology facilitate the detection of noncultivable, novel, and even recognized microbial origins. A spectrum of diverse pathogens and chronic syndromes emerges, with a range of pathways from exposure to chronic illness or disability. Complex systems of changing human behavioral traits superimposed on human, microbial, and environmental factors often determine risk for exposure and chronic outcome. Yet the strength of causal evidence varies widely, and detecting a microbe does not prove causality. Nevertheless, infectious agents likely determine more cancers, immune-mediated syndromes, neurodevelopmental disorders, and other chronic conditions than currently appreciated.
Infectious agents have emerged as notable determinants, not just complications, of chronic diseases. Not infrequently, infection may simply represent the first misstep along a continuum from health to long-term illness and disability. Preventing or treating infection or the immune response to infection offers a chance to disrupt the continuum, avoiding or minimizing a chronic outcome. To capitalize on these opportunities, clinicians, public health practitioners, and policymakers must recognize that many chronic diseases may indeed have infectious origins.



http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no07/06-0037.htm

The above research is of interest to those of us who have had or currently suffer with chronic illness. In my case Arthritis, muscle weakness and Peripheral Neuropathies all improved since being diagnosed with Lyme disease and treated on long term antibiotics. Many patients suffer from Psychosis, brain fog, gastric problems and neurological problems and then find that Lyme disease was the cause.

Diagnosis can be made for Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Motor Neurons , Autism spectrum disorders or like me Fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Musculo skeletal disease. How many patients with these diagnosis are ever properly checked for Lyme Disease or other infections but instead given sympomatic treatments rather than investigating the cause?