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Toxoplasma Gandhi is a protozoan
parasite and as a parasite its goal is
to reproduce and affect more and more
hosts the only place in the entire world
that Toxoplasma can find a mate and
sexually reproduce is in the gut of a
feline like a tiger a lion or more
commonly a cat inside the cat's gut the
organism can recombine with other
Toxoplasma genes sexually reproduce and
create eggs called oos cysts when a cat
is infected it sheds these eggs into the
environment through its
feces the eggs are highly durable and
can sit in the environment for months or
even years since the parasite can only
reproduce in the gut of a cat its
evolutionary challenge is how to get
back inside a cat how does tox plasma do
this it is very very
creative these Toxoplasma eggs are
everywhere on the ground in the water
basically around areas where there are
cats cat prey such as rodents then root
around through the soil or drink water
that is contaminated with the parasite
eggs once ingested the parasite migrates
throughout the rodent's body
particularly the brain and this is where
it gets even crazier Toxoplasma has the
ability to rewire the brain and turn
fear into
desire the parasite form cysts focusing
most densely on the amydala the region
of the brain linked to fear and anxiety
so rodents whose instinctual behavior is
to avoid the scent of cats AKA avoid
being eaten now become sexually
attracted to the smell of cat urine the
rodents are then more likely to be eaten
by a cat allowing the parasite to enter
the next phase of its life cycle but the
parasite is not only limited to rodents
toxo has been found in many species and
shown to affect their behavior as well
chimpanzees that are affected have even
shown a morbid attraction to
leopards it is estimated that one in
three humans carry Toxoplasma gondi ones
considered strictly latent in the human
body scientists are beginning to
question that back in prehistoric times
we were prey items of large large cats
it is not out of the question that the
parasite could induce similar effects in
US emerging signs suggests that
Toxoplasma can affect human personality
behavior and even mental illness toxo
infected individuals are shown to be
more likely to be involved in car
accidents due to reckless driving toxo
has been linked to an increased
likelihood of suicide and neuroticism
many studies show that people with
schizophrenia are more likely to be
affected by toxo
some science even suggest that
behavioral alterations from the parasite
at a population scale can influence
cultural differences between nations
Toxoplasma can also harmfully affect
those with compromised immune systems
which is why bags of kitty litter warn
pregnant women to avoid contact as it
can be extremely dangerous to the
fetus though a typical cat infection
lasts for at most a couple of weeks one
cat can shed millions of oos sites in
its feces each day that is infected in
Hawaii Toxoplasma is becoming a growing
concern and an ecosystem that did not
co-evolve with the parasite as the
results can be severe through rainwater
sewage and runoff these eggs eventually
find their way into the ocean affecting
marine species endangered Hawaiian monk
seal and Spinner dolphin carcasses have
washed ashore cause of death raging
Toxoplasma infections otherwise known as
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