--- description: Dementia experts are warning that Alzheimer's disease could be caused by herpes and other viruses title: Experts Say There’s a Herpes-Alzheimer's Link image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4121adedec53c37d/69888a8f0a4a2223989c8c32/alzheimer.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Brain](/tag/brain/) ## Brain Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Experts Say There’s a Herpes-Alzheimer's Link  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 10, 2016 11:27 PM CUT  CAT scan of brain, Alzheimer's disease CAT scan of brain, Alzheimer's diseaseGetty Images  by [Katie Reilly](/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 10, 2016 11:27 PM CUT Dementia experts are warning that [Alzheimer’s disease could be caused by herpes](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12188092/Alzheimers-disease-could-be-caused-by-herpes-virus-warn-experts.html "undefined") and other viruses. A team of 31 scientists and clinicians wrote an editorial in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, arguing that microbes are the major cause of dementia, [the _Telegraph_ reported](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/12188092/Alzheimers-disease-could-be-caused-by-herpes-virus-warn-experts.html "undefined") on Wednesday. “We are saying there is incontrovertible evidence that Alzheimer’s Disease has a dormant microbial component. We can’t keep ignoring all of the evidence,” said Douglas Kell, a professor at the University of Manchester’s School of Chemistry and one of the authors of the editorial. The scientists named the herpes virus, chlamydia bacteria and spirochaete bacteria as possible causes of the disease. They argue in the editorial that antimicrobial drugs might help stop the progression of dementia. The experts said viruses and bacteria are common in the brains of elderly people. In particular, herpes has been linked to damage in the central nervous system and the limbic system, which is associated with mental decline and personality changes, the _Telegraph_ reported. The experts called for a deeper investigation into the connection. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4254778/medical-experts-herpes-alzheimers-link/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4254778/medical-experts-herpes-alzheimers-link/"},"headline":"Experts Say There’s a Herpes-Alzheimer's Link","datePublished":"2016-03-10T23:27:10.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T15:48:49.234Z","description":"\"We can’t keep ignoring all of the evidence\"","url":"https://time.com/4254778/medical-experts-herpes-alzheimers-link/","keywords":["Brain"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4121adedec53c37d/69888a8f0a4a2223989c8c32/alzheimer.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Katie Reilly","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4121adedec53c37d/69888a8f0a4a2223989c8c32/alzheimer.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"85757054","caption":"85757054","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/brain/","name":"Brain"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4254778/medical-experts-herpes-alzheimers-link/","name":"Experts Say There’s a Herpes-Alzheimer's Link"}}]}] ```