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Cat Parasite May Increase Risk of Suicide In Humans
An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at the University of Maryland analyzing meticulous data collected by Danish authorities have identified a positive correlation between suicides among women with infection with the fairly common parasite T. gondii. Carriers were 53 percent more likely to commit suicide in a sample of 45,000 Danish women monitored for over a decade (researchers believe that the same correlation likely exists for men). Increased susceptibility to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder was also discovered. The physiological mechanism has not been determined, although some speculation centers around changes to dopamine levels. Two intriguing aspects were noted: 1) human infection often (but not always) begins by exposure to cats carrying the parasite, for example, by changing an infected animal's litter; and 2) the parasite spreads itself by infecting the nervous system of rodents, causing them to become suicidally attracted to feline odors which will increase the likelihood of their hosts being eaten by cats, whose digestive tracts provide the preferred environment for parasite reproduction."
They are a menace to public health.
That's what people would say if cats were ugly, anyway. But they are cute, so they are permitted to carry disease. Only ugly species are eligable for culling.
So a suicide mission shouldn't be called a suicide mission? the people doing it probably don't want to die, but they're doing it for another purpose
Guilt about sex is one of the things religion uses to keep people in line. Reduce guilt about sex and you reduce religion's hold over the populace. We can't have that happening, now can we?
I really shouldn't have used someone else's email address for this account.
Hello, looks like you've thought up an objection within 5 seconds of reading the summary. Given that these scientists have spent several years working on this project, you don't think they could have also thought of something similar, do you? Oh wait, they did.
Next time, please at least read the article before spreading your inanity. Scientists usually think of the simple stuff.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
Wash your hands.
If you are a cat owner, and you can't handle the simple fact that you are dealing with feces and vomit every day without a proper hygiene protocol, something has already gone wrong.