It could all be because of the presence of algae virus , that our thinking and cognitive functions might slow down .

 

The virus was discovered by a group of students from Johns Hopkins and University of Nebraska accidentally , and the findings have left everyone disturbed .

 

 

From Business Insider

Surprising to researchers was that a microscopic organism that we thought could infect only algae — plants — was living in about 40% of the small number of people tested.

For the rest of us, the bigger surprise may be that this virus could join the ranks of microorganisms that live inside and on us, changing the way we think.

In a way, this is less crazy than it seems. Microscopic organisms live all over people and have all kinds of effects on our health, brain, and behavior.

From Independent

Humans’ bodies contain trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Most are harmless, but the findings of this research show that there some microbes can have a detrimental impact on cognitive functions, while leaving individuals healthy.

The study’s findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 From Hopkins Medicene

“This is a striking example showing that the ‘innocuous’ microorganisms we carry can affect behavior and cognition,” says lead investigator Robert Yolken, M.D., a virologist and pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and director of the Stanley Neurovirology Laboratory at Johns Hopkins. “Many physiological differences between person A and person B are encoded in the set of genes each inherits from parents, yet some of these differences are fueled by the various microorganisms we harbor and the way they interact with our genes.”

People’s bodies are colonized by trillions of bacteria, viruses and fungi, a constellation of organisms whose functions are largely unknown and collectively make up the so-called human microbiome. Many are presumed harmless, while others, such asLactobacillus acidophilus, are known to have clear benefits for human health. The findings of the new research suggest some may also affect human health in less obvious and not entirely benign ways.