Your brain probably already has a virus you don't know about

Good morning from the island — we're still here, the orcas were spotted at Active Pass, and honestly, life is fine. Except, perhaps, for the rather unsettling news I stumbled upon this morning. You know, sometimes you're just enjoying your artisanal coffee from a tiny spot in James Bay, watching the float planes land in the Inner Harbour, and then you read something that makes you question everything. Apparently, a lot of us are already walking around with a "brain-eating virus" we've never even heard of.

### The Uninvited Guest

Now, don't panic. Or do, a little, if you must. But here's the thing: new research is suggesting that a fatal brain infection, once thought to only really hit folks with profoundly suppressed immune systems, might actually be caused by something a vast number of us are already carrying. We're talking about a virus that could be lying dormant, like a very unwelcome houseguest, and just waiting for the right moment. It's not the kind of thing you expect to hear about while planning your next stroll through Beacon Hill Park, is it?

* The virus was previously linked primarily to severe immune suppression.

* New studies indicate it might be far more widespread in the general population.

* It's a "brain-eating" infection, which, well, speaks for itself.

Honestly, it makes you wonder about all those deer who wander fearlessly through Oak Bay, nibbling on roses. Are they carrying some ancient, placid form of this? Probably not. But the thought of something so insidious, so widespread, and yet so utterly unknown to most of us, is a particular kind of island spooky. We're accustomed to our mysteries being of the misty, ancient forest variety, not microscopic invaders in our own heads. It certainly adds a new dimension to that post-haste feeling I often talk about; maybe we're just too busy carrying silent passengers to be truly anxious.

Good morning from the island — we're still here, the orcas were spotted at Active Pass, and honestly, life is fine.

The morning crew on MiTL delves into all sorts of wild things — catch their take live at mornings.live.