Depression is the result of an infection of the brain
That’s according to researcher Turhan Kanli from the University of Stony Brook, USA. In defense of his theory, he cites several pieces of evidence. First of all, people suffering from depression lose interest in the world around them, lack energy and cannot get out of bed.
Similar symptoms are observed in infections. Also, inflammatory markers are found in the brains of depressed people. It is very likely that the immune activity is increased due to the presence of some pathogens such as parasites, bacteria or viruses.
Secondly, there are parasites, bacteria and viruses in nature that can affect behavior and emotions.
An example of this is toxoplasmosis, an infection with Toxoplasma gondii, or T.gondii, a parasite inhabiting the cat’s gastrointestinal tract. There, the helminth lays eggs, which are then released into the environment.
When a rat comes into contact with these eggs, it becomes attracted to the smell of cat urine. In this way, the parasite affects the brain of the rat, activating the areas responsible for sexual arousal. It is estimated that 1/3 of the world’s population is a carrier of T.gondii.
This parasite, like depression, is linked to inflammatory markers. People with depressive and bipolar disorders who attempt suicide are known to have elevated levels of the antibodies needed to kill T.gondii.
There are a number of scientific studies that show that the emotional behavior of rodents changes when they are exposed to the bacteria.
In addition, the researcher analyzed 28 studies that linked depression to viruses such as the Borne disease virus, herpes virus, varicella zoster virus and Epstein-Barr virus.
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The results of one of the studies showed that the Born disease virus occurs 3 times more often in people who suffer from depression than in a normal mental state.< /strong> In another study, this virus was found in two out of 30 people with depression.
Turhan Kanli’s last argument – the failure of scientists’ attempts to find genes associated with depression.
The researcher suggests that the reason may be that geneticists are conducting their research in the wrong direction.
They are investigating possible changes inside the genes that could lead to depression. Meanwhile, 8% of the human genome depends on external influences, including viruses.
The researcher insists that large-scale research be conducted in this direction. And if his theory is correct, it is quite possible that in the future a vaccine will be created against depression, of which currently about 10% of the world’s population, according to WHO data.
