Toxoplasma Could Manipulate Our Behavior

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/common-parasite-could-manipulate-our-behavior/

by kungfudoi • 11 years ago

73 23 11 years ago

fragsworth• 11 years ago

Toxoplasma gondii, can override a rodent's most basic survival instincts. The result is a rodent that does not race away from a cat but is instead strangely attracted to it.

Perhaps humans who think cats are cute are actually experiencing the same effect from the parasite.

deeviant4• 11 years ago

Perhaps cats are just cute?

kbenson• 11 years ago

Here's some prior submissions about this or that are on the same subject[1][2][3]. I think I'm missing a more recent one with more comments though.

1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1420315

2: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3573694

3: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=789517

CapitalistCartr• 11 years ago

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8443309

roye• 11 years ago

Despite the title, I found the details regarding rodent brains and the kiss and spit mechanism much more engaging and convincing than the discussion of effects on humans.

biggerfisch• 11 years ago

Then they sacrificed the animals and looked at their brains.

That seems... extreme. Interesting word choice there!

cafebeen• 11 years ago

Surprisingly, this is the norm for research with animal models

trhway• 11 years ago

animal models

Strange, i never heard "human model" in the research context. I've always felt that the usage of "animal model" is a reprehensible euphemism here. Research on animals. Minimum we owe them is to call it as it is.

aaronem2• 11 years ago

“Sacrifice” is common scientific parlance for the killing of experimental animals.

deeviant4• 11 years ago

In the name of Science (and Cthulhu) I sacrifice you!

_abattoir2• 11 years ago

There's a god for that. [0] Although she would more likely be miffed that you offed one of her progeny.

[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos_deities#Bast

csixty4• 11 years ago

Why, yes, it has been a couple months since the last Toxoplasma freakout in the press. Guess we were due for one.

Houshalter• 11 years ago

Is there any way to treat it?

RyanMcGreal• 11 years ago

FTA:

Once infected, a person will remain a carrier for life. Our immune system is apparently incapable of eliminating the tissue cysts, nor can any known drug.

kenj0418• 11 years ago

Instead of smelling danger, the rats smell love.

The story of my life.

pingou• 11 years ago

"Curiously, infected men found cat urine odor more pleasant than uninfected men; in women, the opposite occurred."

I read somewhere that they sometimes put this odor in perfumes (such as Chanel 5), I find it interesting to see this process must make it less attractive to women and more to to men, I wonder if they also put it in men's perfumes.

deeviant4• 11 years ago

I've had cats for all my life and I would assume to be "infected" by this point, but I can say, without reservation, I have never enjoyed the smell of cat urine.

_abattoir2• 11 years ago

That's not a data point in itself ;) How does your hate for the scent stack up against your friends of the same sex?

viggity• 11 years ago

IIRC, the infection rate in the US is relatively low, but other countries (Brazil) are extremely high.

aaronem2• 11 years ago

If you’ve never had or lived around outdoor cats, you’re almost certainly not infected.

Datsundere• 11 years ago

Here is a podcast from radiolab that talk about parasites http://www.radiolab.org/story/91689-parasites/

mariodiana• 11 years ago

infected women tend to be extraverted, trusting and obedient.

In light of the stereotype of the spinster cat lady, I find this very difficult to believe. You'd think some man somewhere would pick up on that.

Toxoplasma Could Manipulate Our Behavior

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