Italian Scientists Find a Viral Link to Type 1 Diabetes

Italian researchers have found a link between a common virus and type
1 diabetes that may open the door to answers about what triggers the
disease in children.

Scientists at the University of Insurbia in Varese, Italy, tested the
blood of 112 children between two and 16 years of age immediately
after they had been diagnosed with type 1. The researchers were
looking for the presence of DNA left over from infection by an
enterovirus, a common, very mild virus that usually produces either no
symptoms or mild ones, such as aching muscles or rashes.

The scientists knew that previous studies have shown a possible link
between enteroviruses and the onset of type 2. Their study results
confirmed the link: 83 percent of the children with type 1 had
low-level enterovirus infection, compared to 7 percent of children
without the disease.

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2010/06/17/6724/italian-scientists-find-a-viral-link-to-type-1-diabetes/