[natvod]

Horribly misleading headline as well. It clearly states in the article that it's most likely having dementia makes the brain more susceptible to fungal infections, not that dementia is caused by them.

While in an ideal world, people should not trust headlines alone, a lot of people do scroll and skim. And just merely being exposed to something could leave a mark in their memories. I'm pretty sure this is how a lot of misconceptions start.

[gojomo]

The article does not "clearly state" reverse causality as "most likely"; it mentions that as a possibility.

It's a fair, well-qualified headline – "hints at the possibility" – summarizing the new evidence.