A virus that most adults on Earth have been exposed to has a sneaky route into the brain, and a world-first study has now demonstrated that it can cause behavioral changes. While this form of infection thankfully appears to be rare, the authors do believe it merits more attention.
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is an extremely prevalent virus that’s usually associated with cold sores. The World Health Organization estimates that 64 percent of the global population under the age of 50 is infected, and most will go for long periods of time – or even forever – with no symptoms at all.
While for most adults HSV-1 infection has not historically been considered a “big deal” – though some of its consequences can be very unpleasant – recent evidence suggests that this virus could have a bit more to answer…