Chickens with the virus had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in their blood compared to chickens that did not have the virus and did not gain weight, unnaturally.  

Bird flu, Swine flu,  Mad Cow Disease, Anthrax… the list of diseases that plague humans and originated in animals is a long one. But did you know that a virus found in chickens may contribute to one of the world’s major health issues: obesity? Well, Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar, a nutritional biochemist, and physician in Mumbai India believes obesity may be linked to the reason why some obese people have difficulty shedding the pounds.

Dhurandhar struggled to figure out why some of his patients could cut weight despite adhering to a rigorous diet and exercise programs, Dhurandhar had a serendipitous conversation with a veterinarian pathologist  S. M. Ajinkyathat would lead him to a breakthrough. Ajinkya mentioned an epidemic that began to spread in the Indian poultry industry which lead to the deaths of thousands of chickens.  The disease identified as SMAM-1 included fat deposits around the abdomen. Dhuarandhar said that it was a eureka moment, pondering that the virus caused the chickens to fatten up.

Results consolidated his theory,  chickens with the virus had lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in their blood compared to chickens that did not have the virus and did not gain weight, unnaturally.

His experiments proved that the virus definitely could. The infected chickens all had adenovirus which can be caught by all kinds of animals, including humans.

In a recent publication in Wired Magazine a patient, known only as Randy remembered being scratched by a rooster on his family farm. Shortly afterward his appetite increased as did his waistline. And despite years of hard physical work his girth continued to expand. It wasn’t until years after the incident when he had his blood examined that the light went on. He was informed that he was infected with something that made his body accumulate fat. Shockingly, Dhurandhar said during an interview that people, like Randy, who are exposed to the virus are 300 more times likely to be obese than those who haven’t been exposed. Yikes!

Obesity, Dhurandhar notes, isn’t caused just by poor diet or lack of exercise — a third of obese people test positive for infection. Instead of judging someone that’s overweight, a bit of compassion might be in order as they might be grappling with something that’s literally beyond their ability to control.

Given that it is a disease, researchers are currently in the process of developing a vaccine to help those who are infected.