Stealth Adapted Viruses: A Bridge between Molecular Virology and Clinical Psychiatry

Cytopathic “stealth-adapted” viruses bypass the cellular immune defense mechanisms because of molecular deletion or mutation of critical antigen coding genes. They, therefore, do not provoke the inflammatory reaction typical of infections with the conventional viruses from which stealth adapted viruses are derived. Stealth adapted viruses establish persistent, systemic virus infections, which commonly involve the brain. The brain damage can cause major mood and cognitive disorders, fatigue, seizures and various manifestations of an impaired autonomic nervous system. Symptoms can also result from: 1) induced autoimmunity, 2) antibody formation against virus antigens, 3) virus-induced cellular damage to non-brain tissues and 4) induced heightened overall immune reactivity, such that normally unrecognized components of the virus begin to become targeted by the cellular immune system. This last mechanism is relevant to the reported neurological and psychiatric adverse effects of vaccination in certain individuals. It is also appropriate to consider the infectious component of stealth adapted virus infections since family members and others may be at risk for becoming infected.