Your brain already has a virus and you never even knew it

So here's the deal, I'm reading the news this morning, sippin' my Tim Hortons, and I see this headline and I almost spit out my coffee, I'm not even kidding. You know that brain-eating amoeba everyone freaks out about when they go swimming down south? Well, apparently, there's a *different* brain-eating virus, and you've probably already got it. Yeah, you heard me. It's called JC polyomavirus, and it was always thought to only cause problems if your immune system was totally shot. But new research is sayin' nope, it's way more common than that, and it's just chillin' in like, 90% of us. Wild, right?

### Just Chillin' In Your Brain

They used to think this thing only went nuclear on people with super messed-up immune systems, like folks with HIV. But turns out, it can still cause a fatal brain infection even in people who are otherwise healthy. They're talkin' about it being a "wolf in sheep's clothing" which, oh for sure, sounds about right for somethin' hangin' out in your brain without you even knowin'. It's called Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), and it basically just starts destroying the white matter in your brain.

* Used to think it only hit people with profound immune suppression.

* New research shows it can happen in otherwise healthy people.

* Causes a fatal brain infection called PML.

* Like, 90% of us are already infected.

Honestly, this is the kinda stuff that makes you wanna just go back to bed. We got enough to worry about in Buffalo – the Bills' playoff chances, when the 190's gonna finally get repaved, whether Duff's is gonna run out of wings on game day. Now I gotta add "secret brain virus" to the list? Come on! It's not like we're out here lookin' for more stress. But hey, it's just hangin' out, they say. Don't worry about it. Easier said than done when you're tryin' to remember where you parked at the Lexington Co-op and now you're wonderin' if it's the virus.

Bills by a billion – and yeah, the city too.

You know Keith and the crew are gonna have some thoughts on this kinda crazy stuff. Catch 'em live every morning at mornings.live.