Bacteria: are they in your head?

YES ! The PLoS ONE study looked at brain tissue from 10 people, all of whom had either HIV, epilepsy, or some other control disease—and in all 10 samples they found bacterial RNA. The main type of bacteria they found is something called “alpha-proteobacteria,” which is surprising because it’s different from the kinds of microbes researchers have found in adjacent parts of the body like the skin and the nasal passages. This raises the possibility that alpha-proteobacteria is some kind of highly specialized brain bacteria performing an as-of-yet unrecognized function.


PLOS ONE Brain Microbial Populations in HIV/AIDS: α-Proteobacteria Predominate Independent of Host Immune Status.

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