Your brain-eating virus is probably already inside you

Good morning from the Valley — the fields are talking, the rivers are moving, and we've got stories from five communities that matter. And today, I've got one for you that really makes you pause, eh? I just read something that genuinely gave me the chills, and I'm not talking about the morning fog rolling over Sumas Mountain. Turns out, there's a brain-eating virus that most of us are already carrying around, and we didn't even know it. No, really.

This isn't some science fiction movie plot, it's real life. We're talking about the Balamuthia mandrillaris amoeba. For years, doctors thought fatal infections from this bug were only happening in people with seriously compromised immune systems. But new research is showing that's not the full story. It's much more common than they thought, and it's out there, floating in the soil and water, just waiting for a chance.

* This amoeba causes a rare but often fatal brain infection.

* It's found in soil and fresh water, pretty much everywhere.

* New studies suggest it's far more widespread in humans than previously understood.

Now, I'm thinking about all the kids playing in the dirt, the farmers out in the fields, the folks fishing in the Vedder. We're always hands-on out here in the Valley, right? Getting a little mud on your boots is just part of the day. And honestly, it makes you wonder what else we're unknowingly picking up while we're just living our lives. Next time you're out tending your blueberries or working in the greenhouse, maybe just give those hands an extra good wash, eh?

That's my two cents from the Valley. You can hear more wild stuff like this on the morning show — you know, with Keith and the gang. Tune in live at mornings.live.