Markkula N, et al. - Researchers examined a nationally representative sample of Finnish adults aged 30 and over (n = 8,028) who were followed-up for 11 years to determine whether the development of new-onset depressive and anxiety disorders could be predicted by serological evidence of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii, Epstein-Barr Virus, herpes simplex virus type 1, and Cytomegalovirus (CMV). They found no link between seropositivity and serointensity of the four infectious agents and an increased risk of new-onset depressive or anxiety disorders. Lower risk of new-onset generalized anxiety disorder was observed in relation to seropositivity for CMV at baseline. According to findings, common viral infections were not significant risk factors for common mental disorders. Further study of the association of CMV with a lower risk of generalized anxiety disorder is warranted, concluded the authors.