Rat Creature ([info]ratcreature) wrote,
@ 2008-04-21 14:00:00
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random creepy things you learn from the internet...
I follow Dark Roasted Blend, because it often has cool photos and links, however yesterday it featured parasites, which is kind of gross, but okay, so I read about a bunch of parasites.

And this is apparently old news, only I still did not know of this cat parasite, toxoplasma gondii, that also uses humans as intermediate hosts, and is known to change behavior in rats and mice (making them loose their fear of cats, so that they get eaten by the final host the parasite needs). It's apparently still speculative whether the toxoplasmosis disease caused by this also affects behavior in humans, though some scientists apparently claim to have observed correlations showing this, but still. The prevalence of humans with antibodies to this parasite, i.e. they either were infected or still are, is really high, actually over fifty percent where I live (more widely spread than in the US where it's a bit over twenty percent according to what i read), it is kind creepy. I mean, it's more likely than not that I was or still am carrying parasites that potentially can make cysts in your brain to change brain chemistry... Maybe the Goa'uld are less science fiction like than I though. Eeep.


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[info]ileliberte
2008-04-21 05:59 pm UTC (link)
...thanks so much for this information, worrying about parasites changing my brain was all that was needed to make this Monday complete :( *obsesses*

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[info]ratcreature
2008-04-21 06:47 pm UTC (link)
Well, according to the articles I've read the scientists who claim it changes human behavior say that it makes women have higher IQs and be more outgoing, whereas it makes men dumber and more jealous and conservative, so at least if you're female (and not pregnant, as it damages he fetus) it is not as bad as it could be...

You know now I wonder whether Rodney had his cat tested when this first appaeared in the news, worrying about usually asymptotic parasites that still might cost him IQ points...

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[info]hugglewolf
2008-04-21 06:58 pm UTC (link)
I didn't follow the link because you know, grossed out enough by the idea of this! Ick. Any parasites just yuk me out, but I never knew there was the possibility of one that could affect your brain chemistry. It's almost like something out of one of those fifties B horror movies where everybody is gradually taken over. *shudders*

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[info]ratcreature
2008-04-21 07:28 pm UTC (link)
I had known that parasites could force less complicated animals like snails and insects and such to act in detrimental ways, but I hadn't known that this kind of thing can happen to *mammals* (and according to some to humans). I had thought we were too complex or something, but apparently not. It is really creepy. And I mean with the mice and rats it doesn't affect any of their other fears, they still fear open spaces and unknown food and all that, it just removes the fear of cats, because it needs to get there. And how would you even know that a parasite changed you, you'd never even be aware of it, especially since most infections in humans have at most flu-like symptoms unless the first infection happens during pregnancy. It's freaky.

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