NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2016 – Alzheimer’s, cancer and other incurable diseases such as Parkinson’s and dementia can be contagious, according to researchers at the Human Microbiology Institute, who have published research linking the diseases to newly discovered bacterial viruses.

In a recent article published in Gut Pathogens, HMI researchers George and Victor Tetz said they have linked the diseases to bacteriophages.

Bacteriophages: Are they an overlooked driver of Parkinson’s disease?

The researchers, led by George, Tetz, M.D., Ph.D., Human Microbiology Institute, showed that the abundance of lytic Lactococcus phages was higher in PD patients when compared to healthy individuals. This abundance led to a 10-fold reduction in neurotransmitter-producing Lactococcus, suggesting the possible role of phages in neurodegeneration. Comparative analysis of the bacterial component also revealed significant decreases in Streptococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. in PD.

NY Scientists First to Link Neurodegenerative Diseases and Bacterial Viruses

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 17, 2017 / Alzheimer’s and many other neurodegenerative diseases can be caused by bacteriophages – viruses that infect and replicate within gut microbiota of humans and other mammals, New York based HumanMicrobiology Institute (HMI) announced today. The groundbreaking research findings were reported during an Oral Presentation at the American Society for Microbiology’s gathering at the University of Connecticut. The research project was done in collaboration with NYU scientists and results were recently published in highly reputable Nature’s Scientific Reports.