I have written before about Tomoka, a gorilla that was diagnosed with a Mycoplasma infection that was causing arthritis.

Tomoka’s Mycoplasma infection eventually spread to his trainer, who also developed an active case of arthritis. Both Tomoka and his handler were treated with antibiotics, which cured their arthritis.

In the early 20th century, it was discovered that cattle could become infected with bacteria that caused arthritis.

A few years later, doctors found a strain of bacteria causing arthritis in humans. In 1932, Dr. Louis Dienes was the first physician to isolate Mycoplasma bacteria in arthritic human joints.

Mycoplasma is the most common infection I see associated with arthritic disorders, but it isn’t the only one. There are many other bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that are associated with arthritis symptoms. The most common include:

• Candida (yeast)

• Chlamydia bacteria

• Herpes virus (especially human herpesvirus 6)

• Lyme bacteria

• Mycoplasma bacteria

• Parvovirus

Any arthritic patient — but particularly those who display an autoimmune component — should be screened for infection. This will help target the therapy to eradicate the infection.

I frequently use antibiotics, antifungals, and antiviral medications after I identify an underlying infection.

Articles have also detailed an infection-arthritis connection in conjunction with many illnesses including:

• Fibromyalgia

•Graves’ disease

• Hashimoto’s disease

• Juvenile arthritis

• Lupus

• Multiple sclerosis

• Polymyositis

• Psoriatic arthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Scleroderma

• Sjogren’s syndrome

In the past 20 years, I have diagnosed an underlying infection in each condition listed above. These were treated with a holistic approach that included the use of low-dose antibiotics, antivirals, or antifungal medications.