I have several friends with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Bacterial blood infection, computer illustration.

My grandfather died of Alzheimer’s 35 years ago, and I was there when his wife took her own life rather than face another winter with someone who didn’t know who she was.

Much respect.

These science stories may inevitably turn out to be down the rabbit hole, but I present them so folks know what is being discussed, BS or not.

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes an intestinal tract infection from contaminated food or water. It was recently discovered that salmonella in the gut is linked to neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

A collaboration between Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) and Temple University (Philadelphia, U.S.) analyzed the effect of Salmonella biofilm protein on animals. They observed that bacteria can cause arthritis and autoimmune responses.

Salmonella biofilms typically form in the environment such as surfaces where raw meat is prepared. Biofilms are bacteria that densely stuck together in response to harmful conditions like disinfectants and antibiotics.

Dr. Aaron White, an expert on salmonella biofilms and curli amyloids, alongside his team found Salmonella biofilms forming on the intestines of infected mice models. The biofilm protein ‘curli’ appeared as the scientists replicated the food-borne illness associated with the bacteria.

Within four to six weeks, curli formed in the colon and cecum, or the beginning of the large intestine, of the mice. The scientists also ruled out that curli was produced solely by Salmonella and not by other bacterial species.