Dr. Marshall discovered a bacteria (h-pylori) caused stomach ulcers in the early 1980’s. The public learned of his discovery in the early 1990’s, when it was reported in the National Enquirer.  It took more than 10 years for his discovery ulcers were a treatable infection for treatment of ulcers as an infection to become part of routine medical practice—when the public learned of the discovery and demanded treatment.

Dr. Balin first published finding infectious bacteria in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients in 1998, in key areas of the brain; in, under and around plaque; and inside the brain’s immune cells.  Others have reported finding infectious pathogens and parasites in autoimmune disease, cardiac disease, asthma, mental illness, and many other chronic diseases. Yet, recognition of chronic intracellular infection and/or parasitic disease as a cause of chronic disease is slow to evolve. The attached review article from 2014, summarizes what was known 8 years ago, about infectious pathogens as a cause of chronic diseases.

Many chronic diseases likely have an infectious origin that could be identified, if available diagnostic tools are used and medical acumen is applied. The barriers to change in the standard of care are high; research is limited by the scientific method, in stating causation; and doctors are limited in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious causes by a myriad of external forces. Change comes slowly in medicine, and may again require an educated public demanding diagnosis and treatment of infectious pathogens, to effect change.

https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182426