We can find levels of infection that would have been invisible to earlier scientists. But, as one researcher told me, the traditional standards of proof are no longer good enough. The evidence does not align to the traditional standards of proof. How strong is the actual evidence we have to prove this connection? That number may not seem that significant at first, but if we could prevent or address that amount of mental illness without long-term medical regimens that would be a huge gain. The educated guess I got from researchers was consistent: they estimated that 10-15 percent of mental diseases are caused by infection. Your book uncovers some cutting-edge research that shows infection may be a factor in these cases. So we already know that some diseases are caused by infection but the big question is whether or not they are diseases that cause our society a lot of problems, like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression. Rabies and syphilis are two good examples. There’s really no question that some diseases are caused by mental illness, we’re just not in the habit of thinking of them that way.
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