With the incidence of chronic disease and autoimmune disorders undeniably on the rise, I wanted to take a moment to share a medical perspective which emphasizes an infectious trigger as a cause to these types of illnesses. These chronic infections can be difficult to detect on laboratory testing and can disrupt the immune system, increase oxidative stress, cause micronutrient depeletion, and chronic inflammation.
Chronic diseases for which there is evidence or suspicion of an infectious cause
| Infectious agent | Chronic disease(s) |
| Borellia burgdorferi | Lyme disease |
| Campylobacter jejuni | Guillain–Barré syndrome |
| Chlamydia pneumoniae | AtherosclerosisAlzheimer’s disease |
| Chlamydia trachomatis | Reiter’s syndrome and reactive arthritisPelvic inflammatory disease |
| Cytomegalovirus | Post-transplant accelerated atherosclerosis |
| Enteroviruses | Diabetes |
| Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) | Burkitt’s lymphomaNasopharyngeal cancerChronic fatigue syndromeMultiple sclerosis |
| Escherichia coli O157:H7 | Haemolytic–uraemic syndrome |
| Group A streptococcus | Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis |
| Group A Streptococcus agalactiae | Obsessive–compulsive disorder |
| Hepatitis B virus (HBV)Hepatitis C virus (HCV)HBV and delta virus | Hepatocellular carcinomaChronic hepatitis |
| HBV | Polyarteritis nodosa |
| HCV | Mixed cryoglobulinemia |
| Helicobacter pylori | Gastric lymphomaMALT lymphomaPeptic ulcer diseaseSjogren’s disease
Primary biliary cirrhosis |
| Herpes simplex virus | Bell’s palsy |
| Histoplasmosis | Chronic pericarditis |
| Human papillomavirus | Cervical carcinomaLaryngial papillomaPenile cancerAnal cancer
Vulvar and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia Venereal warts Common warts Head and neck cancer |
| Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 | Adult T-cell leukaemiaTropical spastic paraparesis |
| Influenza (intrauterine exposure) | Schizophrenia |
| Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus | Multicentric Castleman’s diseaseLymphomaKaposi’s sarcoma |
| Measles | Sub-acute sclerosing panencephalitis |
| Mycobacterium leprae | Leprosy |
| Mycobacterium paratuberculosis | Crohn’s disease |
| Mycobacterium tuberculosisMycoplasma | TuberculosisAutism |
| Parvovirus B19 | AnaemiaArthritis |
| Prions | Creutzfeldt–Jakob diseaseKuruFamilial insomniaAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
| Rubella | Post-rubella arthritis syndromeCongenital rubella syndrome |
| Simian virus 40 | Mesothelioma |
| Syphilis | Tertiary and neurosyphilis |
| Tropheryma whippleii | Whipple’s disease |
| Selected Associations of Microbial Overgrowth and Autoimmune Disorders | |
| Microbe Species | Disorder |
| Klebsiella | Ankylosing spondylitis |
| Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Proteus, Porphyromonas | Rheumatoid arthritis |
| Yersinia | Graves’ disease & Hashimoto’s disease |
| S. Pyogenes | Rheumatic fever |
| Campylobacter | Guillain-Barré syndrome |
| Chlamydia | Multiple sclerosis |
| E. coli, Proteus | Autoimmunity in general |
Of course a comprehensive approach must be taken when addressing chronic disease and autoimmune disorders and eradication of infectious triggers is only one part of this approach. Following an anti-flammatory lifestyle, eliminating food sensitivities, healing a leaky gut and regulating the immune system are also key components that must be addressed for the best patient outcomes.