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Current Events => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chris_ on February 09, 2012, 09:05:29 AM

Title: How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
Post by: Chris_ on February 09, 2012, 09:05:29 AM
Quote
How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy

The parasite, a single-celled protozoan which is excreted by cats in their feces, is called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii or Toxo for short) and is the microbe that causes toxoplasmosis—the reason pregnant women are told to avoid cats’ litter boxes. Since the 1920s, doctors have recognized that a woman who becomes infected during pregnancy can transmit the disease to the fetus, in some cases resulting in severe brain damage or death. T. gondii is also a major threat to people with weakened immunity: in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, before good antiretroviral drugs were developed, it was to blame for the dementia that afflicted many patients at the disease’s end stage. Healthy children and adults, however, usually experience nothing worse than brief flu-like symptoms before quickly fighting off the protozoan, which thereafter lies dormant inside brain cells—or at least that’s the standard medical wisdom.

But if Flegr is right, the “latent” parasite may be quietly tweaking the connections between our neurons, changing our response to frightening situations, our trust in others, how outgoing we are, and even our preference for certain scents. And that’s not all. He also believes that the organism contributes to car crashes, suicides, and mental disorders such as schizophrenia. When you add up all the different ways it can harm us, says Flegr, “Toxoplasma might even kill as many people as malaria, or at least a million people a year.”
The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/?single_page=true)

Crazy cat lady: the science.
Title: Re: How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
Post by: BlueStateSaint on February 09, 2012, 11:43:13 AM
Quote from: chris_ on February 09, 2012, 09:05:29 AM
The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/?single_page=true)

Crazy cat lady: the science.

So, then--how crazy is your cat making you? :tongue: :fuelfire: :whistling:
Title: Re: How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
Post by: Chris_ on February 09, 2012, 11:43:53 AM
No more than usual.
Title: Re: How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
Post by: Rebel on February 09, 2012, 12:06:29 PM
Yet another reason they should either be eradicated or all deported to Egypt to fight off pending mummy invasions.  :stirpot:
Title: Re: How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
Post by: obumazombie on February 10, 2012, 06:16:40 PM
Quote from: chris_ on February 09, 2012, 09:05:29 AM
The Atlantic (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/?single_page=true)

Crazy cat lady: the science.

Um, some attribution here ? Unless I'm way off base, I deserve at least a little credit.
Title: Re: How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
Post by: Chris_ on February 10, 2012, 06:25:13 PM
Quote from: obumazombie on February 10, 2012, 06:16:40 PM
Um, some attribution here ? Unless I'm way off base, I deserve at least a little credit.
You have cats?

Can you tell me why mine is such a dumbass?
Title: Re: How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy
Post by: obumazombie on February 10, 2012, 06:35:40 PM
Quote from: chris_ on February 10, 2012, 06:25:13 PM
You have cats?

Can you tell me why mine is such a dumbass?

I think I beat you to it (http://http://www.conservativecave.com/index.php/topic,63458.msg808787.html#msg808787)