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02-08-2016, 02:52 PM #1
Parasite that breeds in cats 'could affect human behaviour when it infects people'
Parasite that breeds in cats 'could affect human behaviour when it infects people'
Toxoplasma gondii is estimated to be infecting around 1,000 people every day in Britain
- Steve Connor Science Editor
- @SteveAConnor
- 3 hours ago
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Some studies have linked the Toxoplasma parasite found in cats with psychotic disturbances in humans Corbis A microscopic parasite that breeds in cats has been found to make chimpanzees less fearful of predators in what scientists believe is further evidence that the microbe can also affect human behaviour when it infects people.
A study of Toxoplasma gondii, which is estimated to be infecting around 1,000 people every day in Britain, has found that it makes chimpanzees more attracted to the smell of leopards, their main predators in the wild.
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Previous studies have shown that when the feline parasite infects mice, the rodents lose their natural fear of cats. Now the same kind of behavioural changes appear when T. gondii infects chimpanzees, the closest living relatives of humans, which usually harbour a natural fear of leopards.
The findings of the study support the controversial view that T. gondii may also influence the behaviour of infected people, possibly when it is carried in the bloodstream to the brain where it can form cysts in the amygdala, the brain region involved in fear, researchers said.
Several studies in the past have indicated that the Toxoplasma parasite can affect people’s personality by slowing down their reaction times or making them more likely to take risks. Some studies have linked the cat parasite with psychotic disturbances in humans such as self-harm and suicide, and even serious psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia.
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The latest research was carried out on 33 infected and non-infected chimps kept in captivity in Gabon. Scientists found that the chimps infected with T. gondii were three times more likely to investigate the smell of leopard urine than non-infected chimps – normally chimps are repelled by the scent of a leopard.
This change in behaviour, however, was not seen when the chimps were exposed to the smell of urine from lions or tigers, neither of which is a natural predator of chimpanzees.
Scientists believe this difference between the reaction to leopards and other large cats indicates that the change in behaviour is linked with the predator-prey relationship between chimp and leopard, and the need for the parasite to be eaten along with its host species by the chimp’s natural feline predator, the scientists said.
T. gondii can infect a broad range of species, including humans, but it needs to end up in a feline species in order to reproduce sexually and so complete its complicated life cycle, said Clémence Poirotte of the Centre for Evolutionary and Functional Ecology in Montpellier, France, the lead author of the study published in the journal Current Biology.
“Feline species become parasitized by eating a parasitized prey. Avoidance behaviour of prey such as rodents toward feline species thus represents a natural barrier for the parasite,” Dr Poirette said.
“It has been shown, however, that T. gondii can induce behavioural change in parasitized rodents, making them more attracted to cat urine, thus benefiting parasite transmission,” she said.
“For the first time, we’ve shown that such parasite manipulation occurs in a primate, in a very specific way. We found that in our closest relative, the chimpanzee, Toxoplasma-infected animals lost their innate aversion towards leopard urine, their only natural predator,” she added.
Read more- Cat parasite toxoplasma uses 'Trojan horse' to infect human brain and
- Toxoplasma's links to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and increased
- Beware of the cat: Britain's hidden toxoplasma problem
It had been thought that if Toxoplasma, a single-cell “protozoan” parasite similar to malaria, does have an effect on human behaviour it must be a side-effect of its ability to manipulate the behaviour of other “dead end” host species such as rodents. However, the discovery that it can affect other primate species suggests a more ancient evolutionary link with humans, Dr Poirotte said.
“Our study rather supports the hypothesis that manipulative abilities of T. gondii have evolved in the human lineage when our ancestors were still under feline predation. Behavioural modifications in humans could thus be an ancestral legacy of our evolutionary past,” she said.
“Latent toxoplasmosis was commonly assumed to be asymptomatic in humans, except in pregnant women….Recent studies have shown that it could represent a risk factor for some mental disease such as schizophrenia, but more studies are needed to understand all the impacts on human health,” she added.
Toxoplasma gondii: What exactly is it?
Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that breeds only in cats but can infect many other species as “dead-end” hosts – dead-end, that is, unless these animals are then eaten by felines.
As The Independent revealed in 2012, T. gondii is now so ubiquitous in the environment that scientists estimate about 350,000 people in Britain alone – some 1,000 individuals a day – become newly infected through pet cats, contaminated food, or other sources in the environment.
Most people are never aware they are infected and the highest risk of Toxoplasmosis is to the unborn child of pregnant women. But studies have also shown that the parasite can cause cysts in the human brain and other vital organs.
More controversially, some studies have indicated that people infected with T. gondii are more likely to take risks or suffer serious psychological problems. However, other scientists have questioned the strength of this link.
Nevertheless, it is now clear that the parasite can change the behaviour of prey species, such as rodents and chimpanzees, towards their natural predators – felines.
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02-08-2016, 05:29 PM #2
Source of the expression:
"The crazy cat lady down the street."
================
By AMY KRAFT CBS NEWS June 5, 2015, 6:00 AM
Cat parasite linked to mental illness, schizophrenia
An armful of stray kittens at London's Battersea Dog and Cat Home.
JOHNNY EGGITT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Everyone loves cuddling with kittens. But there can be a little-known danger lurking behind that furry little face and that innocent-sounding meow: a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii).
T. gondii is the most common parasite in developed nations, according to Schizophrenia Bulletin. The cat-carried parasite can infect any warm-blooded species, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 60 million people in the U.S. may have it.
Most people never suffer any symptoms at all.
But in those with weaker immune systems, infection with T. gondii can cause an illness called toxoplasmosis, which can result in miscarriages, fetal development disorders, weeks of flu-like illness, blindness and even death. It has also been associated with mental disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Now two more studies explore the mental health issues in greater detail.
E. Fuller Torrey of the Stanley Medical Research Institute and Dr. Robert H. Yolken of Stanley Laboratory of Developmental Neurovirology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have been studying the link between infection with T. gondii and schizophrenia for close to three decades.
Their most recent study, published in Schizophrenia Research, along with researcher Wendy Simmons, compared two previous studies that found a link between childhood cat ownership and the development of schizophrenia later in life with an unpublished survey on mental health from 1982, 10 years before any data on cat ownership and mental illness had been published. Results of the analysis indicated that cat exposure in childhood may be a risk factor for developing mental disorders.
"Cat ownership in childhood has now been reported in three studies to be significantly more common in families in which the child is later diagnosed with schizophrenia or another serious mental illness," the authors reported in a press release.
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In a second recent study, A.L. Sutterland from the Department of Psychiatry at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam and colleagues analyzed the findings of 50 published studies to confirm that T. gondii infection is associated with mental disorders. The research was published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.
Results showed that an individual infected with T. gondii was almost twice as likely to develop schizophrenia. They also found an association with addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder, but say that the findings should be approached with caution.
"In schizophrenia, the evidence of an association with T. gondii is overwhelming," the authors say in a press release. "These findings may give further clues about how T. gondii infection can possibly [alter] the risk of specific psychiatric disorders."
The Humane Society estimates there are 75 to 80 million pet cats and another 30 to 40 million stray or feral cats roaming the United States.
Outdoor cats have an increased likelihood of infection with T. gondii. Cats excrete millions of infected eggs, or oocysts, in their feces, which can remain in soil or water for years.
Fortunately, there are precautions that cat lovers can take -- you don't have to limit your feline contact to watching cat videos on YouTube.
"Children can be protected by keeping their cat exclusively indoors and always covering the sandbox when not in use," Torrey told CBS News in an email. The CDC also recommends changing the cat's litter box daily, since T. gondii does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in feces. In addition, avoid feeding cats raw or undercooked meat.
Because toxoplasmosis is especially hazardous to unborn babies, health officials recommend that pregnant women avoid cleaning litter boxes, if possible, or wear disposable gloves and wash hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cat-para...schizophrenia/
Last edited by JohnDoe2; 02-12-2016 at 12:27 AM.
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02-08-2016, 05:46 PM #3NO AMNESTY
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02-08-2016, 06:53 PM #4
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Parasites can be killed off with proper remedies. No mention if that was tried.
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02-08-2016, 07:29 PM #5
. . .
Parasite prevention
Treatments do exist, but none are very effective, Torrey said. Most people don't have long-term effects, but it's not clear why some do.
Genetic predisposition or age at the time of infection could play a role, Torrey said.
More research is needed to understand the risks posed by the Toxoplasmaparasite. In the meantime, Torrey advocated controlling cat populations, especially feral ones. Children's sandboxes should be covered. Gardeners should wear gloves and wash their vegetables. And cat owners should dispose of cat litter properly -- in the trash, not down a toilet (and pregnant women shouldn't change it at all).
"None of us are saying cats shouldn't be pets," Torrey said, but "there are some downsides to all pets, and some downsides to cats we should be aware of."
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cat-poop...rous-parasite/
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02-08-2016, 08:17 PM #6
The mere fact that Cats spread microbes that influence how your mind thinks about cats and other topics is really wild and scary.
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02-08-2016, 10:17 PM #7
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A cat could be tested by a vet. If positive, remedies for other parasites might work. This story could be devastating for pet cats everywhere. Would rather see a treatment developed for the cats & humans before all pets are dumped at the shelter & adoptions screeching to a halt.
The medical profession is lax in offering treatments for fungus & parasite related issues. Organisms have cell walls that need to be broken down to kill them; they are very resilient. Researchers determined the reason for the extinction of the giant fire ant was a fungus that before their host died was directed to present itself to the group to infect all - and for the fungus to survive in a new host.
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