Oh my g-d what if we all have brain-eating amoebas?
Good morning from the Atlantic — three provinces, five communities, and the stories that cross every border. Now look, I thought I’d heard it all, especially after covering some of the wilder planning meetings in Summerside. But this one from the Wildcard desk has my jaw on the floor, b'y. We're talking about a brain-eating virus that nearly everyone on Earth might already be carrying, and until recently, scientists thought it only affected folks with super weak immune systems.
### What in the Name of Confederation Is Going On?
The virus, *Toxoplasma gondii*, is a parasite you've probably heard of in connection with cat litter boxes. But apparently, new research is pointing to it being far more widespread in humans and far more impactful than we ever knew. They used to think if you had a fatal brain infection from this thing, it was because your immune system was practically non-existent. Not anymore. It's like finding out the Confederation Bridge has been slowly eroding this whole time and nobody told us because they thought it was just a few barnacles.
* This parasite is *everywhere* – like, potentially 99% of humanity. * It's not just for the profoundly immune-compromised anymore. * It can cause a fatal brain infection.
Now, imagine if we found out that the E. coli outbreaks that sometimes hit our potato farms were not just isolated incidents, but that the bacteria was silently living in almost every single potato, just waiting for the right moment. That’s the level of unsettling this news is. You'd think with all the talk about open data and public health, somebody would've shouted this from the rooftops of Province House. It just goes to show you, sometimes the biggest stories are the ones lurking right under our noses, or, as it turns out, right inside our brains. Makes you wonder what else we’re carrying around, eh?
Oh, you need to hear Keith on this one – he’s got some shocking takes every morning. Catch him live at mornings.live.