Possible link between herpes virus and Autism?

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What i find so tragic is that even IF the Herpes virus, or mercury-filled teeth in mother, or immuno-suppression caused by chemicals in food and water, or hidden thyroid disorder, or vaccine shock, or food-opioids/intolerances , or any number of environmental elements, are only FACTORS in triggering Autistic spectrum disorders, each of them only accounting for a few percent/% of cases/difficulties, they are still environmental, which means that they could be studied and eliminated. And the number and/or gravity of ASDs could be reduced.
I do not believe that having aspergers or autistic minds in the past necessarily always, or even usually meant being disabled. I think it meant being SENSITIVE, fragile, precariously constructed, very finely tuned, and that many of the problems perceived as Autism/ASD/Aspergers NOW are actually the symptoms of our being ILL.
That people on the AS are like the canaries of the human species. We start to flutter and tremble long before everybody else because our systems are so sensitive, it's our greatest strength, and our greatest weakness.
I don't think that identifying the environmental causes of the most disabling sensory , motor and cognitive disturbances of AS would wipe us out; I think it would make many of us well, well aspies !, and significantly help others!! Or at least the next generation.
I realise that am actually trying to forget that my having herpes might have caused PDD in my son. It's too painful, esp to think that if i hadn't waited so long he might not have been affected. I knew i should never have been a mother.
But it was an element i had not even considered, so thank you for drawing the connection, Ozzy.

.....

Sorry that came out a little harsh, I really don't mean to preach. All of my input I put out as, "Take it if you can use it."

Ouinon, and all others have changed my views on this topic, but don't stop now! More please!! !

-Ozzy

Interesting... It's probably in conjunction with some other co-morbid, causal-factors too though if anything..

I merely stated it as a possible link, not necessarily as a "catch-all."

-Ozzy

If a virus can alter DNA of exposed gametes/zygotes, then a viral link is not implausible.

The rate of novel (heritable) mutation could easily be limited.

If the conditions under which the virus could effect the DNA of the gamete/zygote to cause a new instance of the heritable mutation, were sufficiently exact, and multi-factorial, new mutations from viral infections would usually be relatively rare and hereditary transmission of the mutation once it has occurred would be the most common means by which the condition were transmitted.

As an example, if the virus only had the potential to cause the mutation where all the following occur

*early gamete exposure to parental virus load

*where the virus is at a particular stage of infection/activity when the gamete is exposed

*and additionally the gamete already carries an otherwise unexpressed Variable Number Tandem Repeat at a particular location on a particular chromosome,

then new instances of the mutation could both be very rare and caused by a common virus. In such a case, hereditary transmission would probably remain the primary cause of the transmission of the condition, with scope for the virus to be a potential factor in fluctuations in the rate of occurrence.

The novel mutations themselves might be variant within a scope (for instance correlated to the length of a pre-disposing VNTR).
Actual expression of the mutation in the phenotype could then be further influenced by for instance the sister chromosome with some 'alleles' being neutral, some facilitating expression, others blocking expression.

I personally know nothing about whether or not the virus posited could cause the effect put forward (mutation of DNA presumably occurring early in development (ie zygote or earlier)).

Most people are infected with HSV, the virus that causes cold sores and fever blisters, by the time they reach adulthood (about 85%). So I don't think that causes autism, no.

As for cytomegalovirus, that is a NASTY BEAST, but it has nothing to do with cold sores. It does live with you forever though. I was infected with that as an adult. Most people get it in childhood and have no symptoms or a mild cold. I had a severe infection which produced mono-type symptoms back in 2001, causing my liver and spleen to enlarge for several weeks, and I have never been right since. I have maybe 80% of my former energy levels and I am plagued with joint pain now. Do I think CMV is a possible contributor? Possibly. I can definitely cause some damage, that's for sure.

One scientific study found that 29% diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder tested positive for HHV-6 infection. In another study, HHV-6 was associated with antibodies that attack the brain in autistics. So I think HHV-6 may cause autism.