You gotta be kidding me with this brain-eating virus
Alright, buckle up, 'cause this one hit me harder than a January chinook after a week of false spring. We're talking about a brain-eating virus. No, not from some B-movie, for real though. Scientists used to think this fatal brain infection, something called PML, was only a risk if your immune system was already shot to pieces. Turns out, that's not the full story.
### Your Brain on... What?!
The big reveal is that this virus, called JC virus, is apparently lurking in *99% of humanity*. Yeah, you heard that right. Practically everyone on the planet, including probably you and me, is walking around with this thing in our system. Most of the time, it just chills out, doesn't cause any grief. But the new research suggests it can activate and cause PML — a progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, for those keeping score — even when your immune system isn't profoundly suppressed. That's a whole new drilling zone for worry.
* **What it is:** A virus called JC virus. * **Where it lives:** Apparently, in almost all of us. * **What it can do:** Cause PML, a fatal brain infection. * **The new twist:** Can activate even without severe immune suppression.
Honestly, this feels like when you're driving down Macleod Trail and suddenly see a new condo tower pop up where there was just an empty lot yesterday. You thought you knew the landscape, but then BAM, something completely unexpected is there. This is Calgary — we've seen the boom, we've seen the bust, and we showed up anyway, but a brain-eating virus in 99% of us? That’s a whole new kind of bust to contemplate over your Bridgeland brunch. Suddenly, those debates about which brewery on 17th Ave has the best patio seem a little less pressing when your brain could be on the menu.
Cassidy Redcloud, MiTL Sports Desk, Calgary.
You know Keith's gonna have a field day with this on the morning show, catch 'em at mornings.live.