Researchers from the University of New South Wales, Australia, reviewed 26 previous studies examining enterovirus infection and Type 1 diabetes, involving a total of 4,448 people. Enteroviruses belong to a common family of viruses, which usually cause the common cold or diarrhoea.
The review findings indicate a clear relationship. However, as the researchers significantly note, the review cannot prove that the virus causes Type 1 diabetes as the studies cannot confirm that infection occurred before the onset of Type 1 diabetes. There is now a need to assess the relationship between the virus and Type 1 diabetes over time to determine whether there really is a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
