Environmental causes:: viral causes

During the last year, viruses have received new attention as potential triggers of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Research in the pathogenesis of T1D has increased in the area of enteroviruses, which several epidemiologic studies have shown to be associated with human T1D. Still, it is unknown whether a virus can cause T1D in humans, possibly excepting congenital rubella, which seems to be associated with diabetes in a considerable proportion of infected children. Although other viruses also deserve attention, the supporting evidence is less convincing than that for enteroviruses and congenital rubella. The commencement of large-scale multicenter studies specifically designed to confirm the possible role of enteroviruses makes it likely that any causal relationship will be uncovered in the next few years.