2 common viruses could trigger onset of Alzheimer's disease, researchers say

BOSTON - Two common viruses, in combination, could trigger the onset of Alzheimer's disease in some people. 

It's estimated that one in two Americans have been infected with the herpes virus which can cause cold sores. Some people develop painful blisters. Others have no symptoms. Eventually, the virus becomes dormant, still residing in the body but inactive. 

Now researchers at Tufts University and the University of Oxford have demonstrated that the varicella virus, the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles, may help re-awaken the herpes virus which then leads to an accumulation of proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease. 

The researchers say that a varicella vaccine, to prevent chickenpox and shingles, has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia, perhaps by interrupting this pathway. 

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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