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Human papillomavirus infection?

acouchy

Unwilling ME/CFS Participant Since 1996
Messages
84
Location
Canada
I have read that ME might be caused by many viruses but don't see much about the human papillomavirus (HPV). Have any studies been done on HPV and ME? I am curious because 1-2 yrs before I became ill with ME I developed a very severe case of plantar warts on my feet from an exposure at a incredibly dirty water park. Now I am wondering if this infection could possibly be the cause of my ME. In the past I have also developed plantar warts out the blue without any exposure.
 

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
Interesting. While I can't answer your question, when I had my blood tested for viruses once, one of 3 that came up was HPV. It was not one of the high risk cancer causing strains, but one that affects skin (though did not have warts). How's your immune system generally? (and seriously yuck on the water park)
 

acouchy

Unwilling ME/CFS Participant Since 1996
Messages
84
Location
Canada
Interesting. While I can't answer your question, when I had my blood tested for viruses once, one of 3 that came up was HPV. It was not one of the high risk cancer causing strains, but one that affects skin (though did not have warts). How's your immune system generally? (and seriously yuck on the water park)
The water park was really yuck. My 3 yr old cousin had to go to the bathroom and the bathroom floor was 1/2" deep in pool water/ toilet water and toilet paper. Neither of us had shoes on and I immediately picked her up and carried her so her little feet wouldn't be exposed to that slurry of who knows what. I got really bad fast spreading warts. My whole foot was infected. So gross. Currently am trying to get rid of another wart. Don't know where it came from. Haven't been to any pools and no one here has one.
I don't think my immune system is great. In the beginning of my illness I never got a cold/flu. Now I get them. I had a cmv infection with rash about 10 years ago. And around the same time I was tested for walking pneumonia and it came back positive over a 4 month span. I'm in Canada and getting testing for anything is difficult.
 

Pyrrhus

Senior Member
Messages
4,172
Location
U.S., Earth
I have read that ME might be caused by many viruses but don't see much about the human papillomavirus (HPV).

This may be because HPV is usually confined to the skin, or other epithelial barriers, and does not generally penetrate the body or travel very far. Of course, it can still cause deadly cancers, though.

I recently had some plantar warts appear, probably from a childhood infection. (HPV infection is generally a life-long infection.) My doctor gave me the new Gardasil-9 shot and that helped somewhat to clear up the plantar warts, even though the Gardasil-9 vaccine targets different strains of HPV, not the strains that typically cause plantar warts. (and it wasn't covered by insurance since the vaccine is only intended for teenagers)
 

vision blue

Senior Member
Messages
1,877
@Pyrrhus There are so many different strains though. Do the high risk ones that cause cancer of say throat only at epithelial barrier? i guess that could be - hadn't really thought about it in those terms before. Also an intersting issue of whether a pathogen has to "travel far" to wreak havoc- don't know, will think about that.

I suppose the OP could have also picked up quite a few other things in the muck and not just HPV (nice you saved your little cousin at least...falling on the sword... not that she could have carried you instead...)