The Toxoplasma gondii parasite’s ability to hijack the mammalian brain is well documented, but in an intriguing twist, scientists say that the effects from infection may be permanent. The parasite is best known for making infected mice lose their fear of cats, which is good for both cats and the parasite, because the cat gets […]
Stanford University scientists have discovered that the complex and intriguing reproductive strategy exhibited by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii relies on altering the rodent brain to interpret cat odors as sexually attractive. The new findings fill a gap in existing knowledge about a most peculiar parasite that one scientist believes could also be subtly rewiring […]
Not content with befuddling the brains of land mammals; the cat parasite Toxoplasma gondii is now making significant inroads into the marine world thanks to the humble anchovy. At least, that’s according to researchers at California Polytechnic State University, who have been investigating why marine mammals around the world are succumbing to this canny feline […]
Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite usually found in cats that can also infect humans, has been getting more than its fair share of the limelight lately. Fresh on the heels of speculation about T. gondii manipulating human behavior on a massive scale to advance its own survival, comes news that the parasite also appears to be […]
Toxoplasma gondii, a common parasite found in cats that can also infect humans may be affecting human behavior and culture on a mass scale, says a scientist from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Much like the creatures in the movie Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, the parasite would be manipulating our behavior to advance its […]
