Do We Sense Each Other’s Sickness?

Source: http://brainblogger.com/2017/07/28/do-we-sense-each-others-sickness/

Social behavior is important for our survival as a species. But social interaction also gives pathogens a chance to spread, and it thereby increases our exposure to infection. Our immune system is a complex defense system that has evolved to protect us from infections. Therefore, it makes sense to assume that our immune system must have developed ingenious strategies to protect us from new pathogens to which social interaction has exposed us.

Evidence of a link between the immune system and our social behavior has been accumulating in the last years. A direct connection between the brain and the immune system, through lymphatic vessels in the meninges, was recently revealed. Then it was shown that the immune system can directly affect, and even control social behavior and the desire for social interaction – an impaired immunity was shown to induc…

Source: http://brainblogger.com/2017/07/28/do-we-sense-each-others-sickness/

Social behavior is important for our survival as a species. But social interaction also gives pathogens a chance to spread, and it thereby increases our exposure to infection. Our immune system is a complex defense system that has evolved to protect us from infections. Therefore, it makes sense to assume that our immune system must have developed ingenious strategies to protect us from new pathogens to which social interaction has exposed us.

Evidence of a link between the immune system and our social behavior has been accumulating in the last years. A direct connection between the brain and the immune system, through lymphatic vessels in the meninges, was recently revealed. Then it was shown that the immune system can directly affect, and even control social behavior and the desire for social interaction – an impaired immunity was shown to induc…

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