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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Can you catch obesity? I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Besides diet and genetics, scientists have been looking into whether viruses could be a cause of obesity. Recently, a team including nutritional scientist Leah Whigham of the University of Wisconsin found that chickens infected with human adenovirus Ad-37 gained a lot more fat than chickens without the virus. And just within a few weeks. This finding brings to three the number of hu,an viruses linked to increased fat, including one that a study found to be more common in obese people.
LEAH WHIGHAM (University of Wisconsin):
Since there’s over 50 human adenoviruses, there’s reason to believe that more of them could have this same effect.
HIRSHON:
Whigham says viruses likely aren’t the only cause of obesity, but these findings suggest that a vaccine could someday help stem the growing epidemic.
I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.