I thought the forum might be interested in the following abstract that I just ran across on PubMed

Here is the text:

Selenium and mercury are redistributed to the brain during viral infection in mice.

Ilback NG, Lindh U, Minqin R, Friman G, Watt F.

Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.

As part of the general host response to coxsackievirus B3 (CB3) infection, the concentration of essential and nonessential trace elements changes in different target organs of the infection. Essential (e.g., Se) and nonessential (e.g., Hg) trace elements are known to interact and affect inflammatory tissue lesions induced by CB3 infection. However, it is unknown whether these changes involve the brain. In the present study, the brain Hg and Se contents were measured through inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and their distribution investigated by means of nuclear microscopy in the early phase (d 3) of CB3 infection in normally fed female Balb/c mice. Because of the infection, the concentration of Hg (4.07 +/- 0.46 ng/g wet wt) and Se (340 +/- 16 ng/g wet wt) in the brain increased twofold for Hg (8.77 +/- 1.65 ng/g wet wt, p < 0.05) and by 36% for Se (461 +/- 150 ng/g wet wt, ns). Nuclear microscopy of brain sections from mice having elevated Se and Hg concentrations failed to find localized levels of the elements high enough to make detection possible, indicating approximately homogeneous tissue distribution. Although the pathophysiological interpretation of these findings requires further research, the increase of Hg in the brain during infection might have an influence on the pathogenesis of the disease.

PMID: 16327074 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Hi Tito Im very interested in this but have to admit I found it very difficult to undestand sorry brain needs something a bit more simple at moment can you interpret for me if you can Thanks Tracy

Summary: The total amount of mercury found in the brain doubled as a result of viral infection.

I thought that it might be interesting to the forum because I've seen people mention that their symptoms get worse as a result of viral illnesses (e.g. influenza and colds).

Folks might be interested in reading a popular text by Paul Ewald called Plague Time. In the book, which is written for the lay reader, he outlines some relationships between common infectious diseases and chronic illnesses. For the purposes of this forum, it is important to know that most people run constant infections that don't have acute (nasty and immediate) symptoms. This doesn't mean that they can't cause chronic diseases in many people or worsen general well-being in sensitive individuals.

thats interesting because last year i had epstein barr virus and cytomegalo virus present

HI Tito, thank you very much for posting this. I developed a bacterial infection from an infected eye cosmetic a few years ago. I underestimated the impact of this, as usually an eye infection is confined to the eyes itself. However, mine spread because I already had a lowered immunity and the infection spread into the brain and rest of my body.

I got so ill from somethign that began as a bad bacterial infection in the eyes, that I've been permanently changed by it. This was 2003. I ended up going off balance, slurring my words and had movement sensations going through my head.

I thought it would be something temporary and I also ended up with swelling and pain in my throat, then full blown chronic fatigue syndrome.

Though the eye infection finally left, the infection itself remainds in my body and is always there, but becomes more activated if I do exercise etc.

You might be interested to hear what other interesting things occured following this bacterial infection. From then on, my mercury toxicity was far worse that it was prior to this and I was handling it much less. On top of that, anytime I went into a dental office (not even for dental work, just for consulation), I would become HIGHLY poisoned following a simple visit. i only had to walk in and I would end up with mercury brain symptoms that stayed with me ever since.

I had no idea why this was occuring, as it never used to and finally figured out that "maybe" the bacterial infection had damaged the blood brain barrier that normally keeps toxins out as much as possible. and/or it had simply lowered my immunity to allow far more problems to occur.

At any rate, I never came right since that time and suffer to this day. So I really think there is something to this viral or bacterial infection and brain mercury.