A virus and bacteria may ‘team up’ to harm babies’ brains

Researchers analyzed blood and cerebrospinal fluid from 100 infants in Uganda with hydrocephalus A newly discovered bacteria may be working with a common virus to cause a serious brain condition in infants in Uganda, according to a new study. This brain disorder, called hydrocephalus, involves an abnormal buildup of fluid in the cavities of the brain and is the most common reason for brain surgery in young children, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Every year, about 400,000 new cases of hydrocephalus are diagnosed in children worldwide, and the condition remains a major burden in low- and middle-income countries, according to the study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. About half of those hydrocephalus cases happen after a prior infection and are known as “post-infectious hydrocephalus,” according to the study. But until now, scientists didn’t know what microbes were infecting infants, and identifying those pathogens is key...