Washington DC, March 10 -- A study from University of Illinois Chicago researchers finds that herpes infection through the nose can lead to anxiety, motor impairment and cognitive issues.

The research is the first to show that, by exploiting a cellular enzyme, the virus can produce behavioral symptoms. The finding emphasizes the need for prevention and treatment of a virus carried by billions of people worldwide.

The research, published in mBio, is the latest from the College of Medicine group led by Deepak Shukla, the Marion H. Schenk Esq. Professor in Ophthalmology for Research of the Aging Eye and UIC professor of microbiology and immunology.

Shukla's laboratory previously studied how the virus spreads to the eye and brain and can l...