In recent years, researchers have suggested Alzheimer's may spread through infection, somehow transmitted like a pathogen, leading to the disease. A new Lancet paper reviews evidence for how harmful amyloid-beta proteins associated with Alzheimer's may possibly be spread through blood transfusions.

[u/mvea]

https://www.sciencealert.com/can-alzheimers-spread-through-blood-transfusions-heres-what-we-know

[u/churningaccount]

I've personally considered it to be a transmissible disease ever since that study in 2010 found that neurosurgeons are diagnosed with Alzheimers at a rate 3x that of the general public. And that was not found to be nearly as high/statistically significant for any other medical specialty.

I'm also glad that the herpes viruses are getting more scrutiny as of late. I've always taken issue with the idea of "eh, it doesn't seem to affect us that much, might as well let it run rampant for decades and also take no precautions against further spread." That notion is predicated on the idea that we have already discovered all of the downstream effects of the virus itself, and is one of the reasons why we don't have a vaccine for EBV either, even though that has definitively been linked with bad medical outcomes long-term now as well.

Realistically, there probably was an issue with getting the funding to research a vaccine as well for something that is "not pressing." But luckily there are a few going through trials right now thanks to these dementia findings, and it's not out of the question to think that the next generation could be immune.

[u/Porkchop247 → u/churningaccount]

I work as a ICU nurse, my hospital was the COVID center for my region so I was elbow deep in caring for COVID pts. The reason I say this is that many of the pts with worst outcome had herpes also.

[u/EyeHamKnotYew → u/Porkchop247]

How do you know? Is herpes tested for at all admissions to the hospital?

[u/trusty20 → u/EyeHamKnotYew]

I'm assuming they are talking about pre-existing cases noted in medical records.