This blog provides scientific facts, information and research regarding the growing spread of toxoplasmosis in our communities - and to our children, particularly in unprotected play areas. Over one third of the world's population is infected, and more than 60 million Americans, The US CDC states this "neglected parasite" is the second leading killer of food borne diseases.
Virus In Imported Meat Might Alter Nation’s Behavior, Warns PM
Says Toxoplasma Infection 'Might Be Changing The Behavior Of Whole Nations'
Published August 15, 2014
According to Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, a virus that may change people’s behavioral patterns is common among most of the world’s populations, except Iceland, Norway, and, ‘remarkably’, the UK. Sigmundur Davíð admits that this does indeed sound like science fiction, adding ‘but …’, seemingly to imply that reality may prove stranger than fiction. He indicated that this should be kept in mind when shaping agricultural policy, emphasizing as ‘extremely important’ that ‘we remain free of all sorts of infections which are, unfortunately, all to common in very many places’.
‘Might Be Changing The Behavior Of Whole Nations’
‘Because this is such an interesting topic, maybe I will get one more minute to cover it, because it is extremely important that we, precisely, protect the wholesomeness of Icelandic products, that we don’t use additives, steroids and hormones and such in the production of Icelandic meat,’ Sigmundur Davíð pleaded in a live interview on radio-station Bylgjan on Thursday. Questions in the interview covered NATO, interest-rate policies and finally, the topic at hand: agriculture and meat-imports. Sigmundur Davíð spoke the economic incentives to keep tolling foreign agricultural products. He spoke of the opportunities ahead, when food prices are predicted to rise. Finally he pleaded, as quoted above, for an extra minute on air, to say a few words of a different nature.
Although Toxoplasma is primarily a rodent parasite, human beings are not immune. Our cohabitation with cats ensures ample opportunity for toxoplasmosis to occur through fecal contact. Since its discovery in the early 1900s, the protozoan had been widely viewed as a relatively benign passenger in humans. The only perceived threat was to patients with compromised immune systems (such as people with AIDS) and pregnant women whose fetuses are often deformed or aborted by the pathogen. It was believed that a healthy human host could control the parasite indefinitely. New evidence suggests the opposite.Through a delicate finessing of the neurotransmitters in our brains, it is us who are being controlled.
How A
Cat
Parasite
Affects Your
Behavior,
Mental
Health and
Sex Drive
By Roc MorinSep 17 2014 Scientist Believes Raw Fish Was Source of Toxo Infection That Affects Mind
Parasitic mind-control is common in the animal kingdom. The rabies virus produces a delirious rage in its dying host, causing the animal to infect new victims with its bite. The hairworm Spinochordodes tellinii manipulates the brains of crickets into committing suicide by leaping into water, where the worm can breed. When the protozoanToxoplasma gondii enters a rodent, the animal’s natural fear of cat urine is reversed. The rodent becomes attracted to the odor of its predator, and when eaten, the parasite is able to spawn inside the feline’s intestines.
Dr. Jaroslav Flegr was the first to make these claims in 2002. Analyzing traffic data, the Czech parasitologist discovered that toxoplasmosis-infected drivers are 2.6 times more likely to be involved in car crashes.Flegr sees a parallel between the risk-taking behavior of infected rodents and the risk-taking behavior of the infected motorists. It was a pattern the scientist had noticed first in himself.
While attending Charles University in Prague, the usually conscientious Flegr realized that he had suddenly become bolder. The student frequently found himself crossing the street without looking, oblivious to the blaring of car horns around him. He also began openly criticizing the Communist government, at a time when dissent was a crime. It wasn't until he tested positive for toxoplasmosis as part of an unrelated research project that Flegr began to make sense of his recklessness. If the parasite could alter the behavior of rodents, he reasoned, why not humans too?
Flegr tested his theory by administering personality inventories to toxoplasma-positive and -negative populations. In test after test, the results were consistent. Infected men were “more likely to disregard rules,” and were more “suspicious, jealous, and dogmatic.” The traits of the women were the exact opposite. They were more “warm-hearted,” “outgoing,” and “moralistic.” A further decade of research has uncovered links to a variety of conditions as far-ranging as ADHD, OCD, schizophrenia, and suicidality.
I sat down recently with Dr. Flegr at his office in Prague to discuss how a tiny parasite living inside of at least 10 percent of Americans and 30 to 50 percent of the world’s population can so profoundly alter who we are.
Why is there such a different response to infection in men and women? Dr. Jaroslav Flegr: It’s known that men and women react in opposite ways to stress. So, it’s possible that Toxoplasma induces chronic stress, and that men and women react in opposite ways to the same effect.
It’s interesting that the characteristics of infected women are generally perceived to be positive. When women feel stressed, they start to be friendly. They seek company. It’s the reason that we suppose that it’s nice to be infected. [Laughter] But it’s not true. It’s just a defensive strategy.
I’ve read that some women have actually wanted to become infected. Yes, but I don't recommend it.
Have they asked you to infect them? Sometimes I’ll get an email like that, but it’s mostly men interested in infecting their girlfriends.
Because it makes women more promiscuous? It’s not true, actually. It’s just journalists extrapolating my discoveries. My recent research shows that it decreases the sexual drive of women.
What does it do to a man’s sex drive? It seems that it does nothing. It is strange because there is a very a strong effect on women and no effect on men. I suppose that there are two processes that cancel each other out. One is they are ill, so that decreases sexual drive; the other is that Toxoplasma is known to increase the concentration of testosterone in males. So you would think that would increase the sex drive.
Are we just collateral damage in the life cycle of the parasites, or do the changes we undergo actually benefit the parasite in some way? A few thousand years ago we were part of the life cycle of Toxoplasma. Even now a lot of people die due to tigers and lions in other parts of the world. It’s actually possible that the [parasite’s] manipulation is primarily aimed not at rodents but at apes.
Do you think that the effects of toxoplasmosis makes a human more likely to be eaten by a lion or tiger? Yes. Several effects of toxoplasmosis really increase this risk. In our questionnaire, infected people say that they are less afraid than people who are not infected. We asked how much they are afraid of being in dark woods, for example, and they say that they are not so afraid. They also have weaker startle reactions. When infected people cross the street and a horn blows, they don’t skip away. [Laughter] It’s not a good strategy when we are endangered by tigers or lions.
If toxoplasmosis correlates with schizophrenia, OCD, and suicidality—those would all seem to be things that would isolate in an individual from the safety of their social group and make them more vulnerable to being eaten by a large cat. It’s possible that could be the reason.
As with the rodents, is there actually a human attraction to cat urine itself? Yes, we observed this fatal attraction phenomenon in humans. Infected men rated the smell of very diluted cat urine as more pleasurable. It was a double-blind study. The people didn't know whether they were infected, and they didn't know what they were smelling. Using 12 urine samples from different animals, they had to rate pleasantness of smell. The pattern was quite clear when we analyzed the results.
I was talking to a graduate student, Charlie Nichols, and he wondered if an attraction to the smell of cat urine is one of the reasons why people like to have cats around. It’s possible. At least when somebody dislikes the smell of cats they probably don’t keep them. Smell plays a very strong role in our life. We don’t realize this because it’s mostly subconscious reactions, but love is a question of smell. To fall in love with somebody—very often smell is the reason for this.
Do you think toxoplasmosis plays a role in love in any way? Toxoplasma changes our sense of smell quantitatively and qualitatively too. There is not enough data for this, but there is some indirect evidence for it. It’s known that the smell of schizophrenics changes. A smell that was pleasurable starts to be unpleasurable. Many data show that a large percentage of schizophrenia is caused by toxoplasmosis.
What is the evidence for that? There is a prospective study showing that antibodies against toxoplasmosis appeared in the blood of subjects from six months to three years before the start of schizophrenia. Many times schizophrenia is triggered by and may be caused by Toxoplasma. Of course, it’s rare. The frequency of toxoplasmosis is about 30 percent and the frequency of schizophrenia is about 1 percent. So most people who are infected by toxoplasmosis do not get schizophrenia.
You yourself have toxoplasmosis, correct? Yes.
Do you know where you got it from? There were several possible sources. I spent more than one year in Japan, and I ate a lot of raw meat, so maybe there.
How did you feel when you found that out? I was not very happy about this. But a lot of people in the department were infected too—about 30 percent. Now, the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in our students is about 10 percent.
Is that because of better hygiene? Possibly. Maybe it’s better regulation of public sandboxes. Sand must be changed very often. There are other possibilities too. For example, our recent paper accepted for publication has shown that Toxoplasma is very probably a sexually transmitted disease. So maybe because of the AIDS epidemic, unprotected sex is not so popular, and it has decreased toxoplasmosis.
Did you find Toxoplasma in semen and vaginal fluid? In some animal species we saw parasites in semen. And in about two-thirds of cases where a human fetus is infected, we weren't able to find any risk factor. The mother did not eat raw meat, she washed vegetables, she behaved very reasonably. There were no risks, and still she became infected. So it’s quite possible that during unprotected sex with her husband, she acquired the infection
You found that the husband was infected? We have no data on this, but it should be tested.
Can women transmit it to men? I believe that transmission goes only from men to women—or mainly.
Do you think that the increase in testosterone in infected men is the Toxoplasma trying to increase sex drive so that it can more easily spread? It is possible. In The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins mentions the possibility of increased sexual drive of patients with syphilis.
I’ve read reports about HIV also increasing sex drive. I believe chlamydia can do that maybe too.
I understand that there are very different rates of toxoplasmosis from country to country. Latin American countries have the highest, and South Korea has the lowest, I believe. Do you think toxoplasmosis could affect behavior on a national level? I believe it can have this impact. It was already published by another parasitologist that national personality can be partially explained by frequency of toxoplasmosis. This year, we published a very important paper showing that the frequency of a lot of diseases can be explained by differences in the prevalence of toxoplasmosis. Our data show a strong relation with epilepsy and cerebrovascular diseases including infarcts [heart attacks]. In Europe, it explains about 16 percent or 17 percent of infarcts. So, if we were able to find a treatment for toxoplasmosis, or if we find a vaccine, we can save a lot of lives.
Scientists have discovered how the toxoplasmosis parasite may trigger the development of schizophrenia and other bipolar disorders.
The team from the University of Leeds' Faculty of Biological Sciences (UK) has shown that the parasite may play a role in the development of these disorders by affecting the production of dopamine - the chemical that relays messages in the brain controlling aspects of movement, cognition and behaviour.
Toxoplasmosis, which is transmitted via cat faeces (found on unwashed vegetables) and raw or undercooked infected meat, is relatively common, with 10-20% of the UK population and 22% of the US population estimated to carry the parasite as cysts. Most people with the parasite are healthy, but for those who are immune-suppressed - and particularly for pregnant women - there are significant health risks that can occasionally be fatal. Dr Glenn McConkey, lead researcher on the project, says: "Toxoplasmosis changes some of the chemical messages in the brain, and these changes can have an enormous effect on behaviour. Studies have shown there is a direct statistical link between incidences of schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis infection and our study is the first step in discovering why there is this link."
The parasite infects the brain by forming a cyst within its cells and produces an enzyme called tyrosine hydroxylase, which is needed to make dopamine. Dopamine's role in mood, sociability, attention, motivation and sleep patterns are well documented and schizophrenia has long been associated with dopamine, which is the target of all schizophrenia drugs on the market.
The team has recently received $250,000 (£160,000) to progress its research from the US-based Stanley Medical Research Institute, which focuses on mental health conditions and has a particular emphasis on bipolar illnesses.
Dr McConkey says: "It's highly unlikely that we will find one definitive trigger for schizophrenia as there are many factors involved, but our studies will provide a clue to how toxoplasmosis infection - which is more common than you might think - can impact on the development of the condition in some individuals.
"In addition, the ability of the parasite to make dopamine implies a potential link with other neurological conditions such as Parkinson's Disease, Tourette's syndrome and attention deficit disorders, says Dr McConkey. "We'd like to extend our research to look at this possibility more closely."
This Song Going Viral (So-To-Speak) on YouTube This time it's Ebola. Last time it was HIV. What will it be next time? Sing along with us to our Toxo version - "Toxola" In all, it begs perhaps the deepest questions that this song points out in a quiet humorous way - Who is looking out for us? Really, who? Enjoy - and think about it!!! T-o-x-o-l-a! La la la...
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In the United States it is estimated that 22.5% of the population 12 years and older have been infected with Toxoplasma. In various places throughout the world, it has been shown that up to 95% of some populations have been infected with Toxoplasma. Infection is often highest in areas of the world that have hot, humid climates and lower altitudes.
Toxoplasmosis is not passed from person-to-person, except in instances of mother-to-child (congenital) transmission and blood transfusion or organ transplantation. People typically become infected by three principal routes of transmission.
Always cook meat thoroughly and use clean knives, utensils and cutting boards on all foods. (CDC Photo)
Foodborne transmission
The tissue form of the parasite (a microscopic cyst consisting of bradyzoites) can be transmitted to humans by food. People become infected by:
Eating undercooked, contaminated meat (especially pork, lamb, and venison)
Accidental ingestion of undercooked, contaminated meat after handling it and not washing hands thoroughly (Toxoplasma cannot be absorbed through intact skin)
Eating food that was contaminated by knives, utensils, cutting boards, or other foods that had contact with raw, contaminated meat
Animal-to-human (zoonotic) transmission
Cats play an important role in the spread of toxoplasmosis. They become infected by eating infected rodents, birds, or other small animals. The parasite is then passed in the cat's feces in an oocyst form, which is microscopic.
Kittens and cats can shed millions of oocysts in their feces for as long as 3 weeks after infection. Mature cats are less likely to shed Toxoplasma if they have been previously infected. A Toxoplasma-infected cat that is shedding the parasite in its feces contaminates the litter box. If the cat is allowed outside, it can contaminate the soil or water in the environment as well.
Have someone else clean the litter box. (CDC Photo)
People can accidentally swallow the oocyst form of the parasite. People can be infected by:
Accidental ingestion of oocysts after cleaning a cat's litter box when the cat has shedToxoplasma in its feces
Accidental ingestion of oocysts after touching or ingesting anything that has come into contact with a cat's feces that contain Toxoplasma
Accidental ingestion of oocysts in contaminated soil (e.g., not washing hands after gardening or eating unwashed fruits or vegetables from a garden)
Drinking water contaminated with the Toxoplasma parasite
Mother-to-child (congenital) transmission
A woman who is newly infected with Toxoplasma during pregnancy can pass the infection to her unborn child (congenital infection). The woman may not have symptoms, but there can be severe consequences for the unborn child, such as diseases of the nervous system and eyes.
Rare instances of transmission
Organ transplant recipients can become infected by receiving an organ from a Toxoplasma-positive donor. Rarely, people can also become infected by receiving infected blood via transfusion. Laboratory workers who handle infected blood can also acquire infection through accidental inoculation.
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