Virus that triggers child diabetes

Fri, 06 Mar 2009
According to researchers in the UK, a common type of virus could act as the trigger for type 1 diabetes development in children . The diabetes experts found that a type of virus in the pancreatic tissue was found in 60 per cent of type 1 diabetes children, but rarely in those children without diabetes.

Furthermore, the research tem found that 40 per cent of type 2 diabetic adults showed signs of the virus. The discovery could potentially mean that a vaccine could be developed to prevent diabetes development . This environmental factor appears to confirm a viral cause of diabetes .

Director of research at Diabetes UK, Dr. Iain Frame, reportedly commented: "We've known for some time that type 1 diabetes cannot be explained by genetics alone and that other, environmental triggers may also play a part. The next steps to identify the viruses and find out what they are doing to the infected beta cells will be hugely exciting and will take us a step closer to preventing Type 1 diabetes ."

Whilst Karen Addington, the chief executive of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, reportedly said: "Type 1 diabetes is a life- threatening condition that requires a life-time of painful finger prick blood testing and insulin injections ."

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