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Digital News Report – Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified an adenovirus linked to human obesity. On average, kids with this specific adenovirus weight on average 50 pounds more than those who did not.
Although there are 55 human adenovirus types in humans, so far Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, MD and his team of researchers have only identified one adenovirus linked to obesity. The virus, AD36, was first isolated in 1978 and causes respiratory and eye infections.
It has been found in 30 percent of obese humans and only 11 percent of non-obese humans.
The researchers identified those infected with the adenovirus by checking for the presence of antibodies. They examined 124 children, ages 8 to 18, for the presence of antibodies.
“This work helps point out that body weight is more complicated than it’s made out to be”, Schwimmer said.
The research is published in the September 20 online edition of the journal Pediatrics.
By: Jason Chang