Your brain is probably infected with a virus you don't know about

Good morning from the Region — three cities, one wire, zero time for small talk. Let's go.

You know, sometimes I read these Wildcard stories and I just think, "Why can't we have *one* day without existential dread before my second coffee?" Because here's the thing about this region: we like our problems contained. Like, the ION LRT being late, or too much traffic on the 401. Not... brain-eating viruses. But apparently, new research is saying that a lot of us are likely already carrying a brain-eating virus, Toxoplasma gondii, and we just don't know it. For years, they thought only people with really weakened immune systems got sick from it, but that's not the full picture anymore.

### Wait, What?

So, this parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, it's pretty common. You can get it from undercooked meat or, you know, cat feces. Don't look at me like that, it's true. The new research points out that while the really nasty, fatal brain infections used to be linked to profound immune suppression, that's not the only way this thing can mess with you. It can cause other, less obvious issues, and a lot of people are walking around with it, probably not even knowing. It's not like the movies where you're suddenly a zombie, but it's still, you know, a parasite *in your brain*.

* Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite.

* It's often found in undercooked meat and cat feces.

* New research suggests it can cause brain infections even without profound immune suppression.

* Many people are likely infected and unaware.

Honestly, it makes me think about how much we *don't* know about what's going on inside our own bodies, never mind out there in the universe. We're busy here in Kitchener-Waterloo arguing about whether we need more bike lanes in Uptown or if the new tech campus will actually solve anything, and meanwhile, a microscopic organism might be having a little party in our grey matter. It's enough to make you want to just stay home and eat local produce from the St. Jacobs Farmers' Market, just to be safe. But then again, you still have to cook it properly.

Anja Baumann-Fong, MiTL Sports Desk, Kitchener-Waterloo.

Keith and the crew unpack this kind of wild stuff every morning – tune in live at mornings.live.