Here’s a frightening thought: your housecat is host to a parasite that can infect you, and in so doing affect your brain function, making you more impulsive, promiscuous, less attentive, less intelligent, and possibly suicidal. Sounds like something straight out of science fiction, but unfortunately this parasite is so pervasive that liberal estimates say that over 8 million Australians could be infected, along with upwards of 60 million Americans. Worldwide estimates of infection range into the billions.

The disease is called Toxoplasma, and it starts in rats, goes to cats, and ends up inside your freaking brain, in what seems like a very demented spin on the circle of life. When a rat is infected with Toxoplasmosis it loses all aversion to the scent of cat urine, and in fact, becomes sexually aroused by the smell. It then seeks out areas filled with cat odors, and is predictably and promptly eaten by an unsuspecting feline.

Davranışları büyük ölçüde değişmeden olsa da kediler benzer şekilde bulaştı, aşağıdakiler de dahil olmak üzere tüm çamaşır belirtileri listesi hastalığa yakalanmıştı:

• Laziness
• Sadness
• Yüksek sıcaklık
• Sudden reduction in weight
• Trouble breathing
• Reduced coordination
• nöbetler
• Weakness
• Paralysis
• Nausea
• Loose bowels
• Reduced appetite
• Ve iltihaplanma


• However, the really scary part is how often the disease goes unnoticed because of a lack of these symptoms.
  
  Humans can catch the disease by being in close contact with cat feces which is where the ocysts, that is to say the toxoplasmosis progeny, are released after reproduction occurs inside the feline’s intestinal tract. It’s also common to catch the disease when in contact with undercooked foods, and is much more prevalent in countries with a tradition of eating such fare, like Brazil for example, which is estimated to have 67% of its total population infected with the parasite.
  
  So I know this is supposed to be a pet blog, and we’re mainly concerned with pet issues here, but are you ready to hear some really scary facts about this parasite’s effects on human behavior?
  
  Toksoplazmoz, insan beyninin korku merkezini etkiler, otorite için bir küçüm getirmeye, sosyal folklorlara ve rahatsızlıklara daha az bağlı kalmaya, şizofreni riskinde artışa, motosiklet kazasında ölme riskinde artmaya, enfekte kişilerde daha yüksek intihar oranına, cinsel ilişkide artışa neden olur. Kadınlar arasında dolaşma ve her iki cinsiyette daha yüksek nevrotik frekanslar. İronik olarak, Futbolda da iyi olmanız daha olası.
  
  This psychotic protozoan is a major health concern for all of the above reasons, and is an excellent reminder to wash your hands after changing your cat litter and always before eating. Diagnosis for the disease is very difficult and not often undergone. It includes measuring t cell count in the blood stream as well as tracking the number of liver enzymes.
  
  Zayıf bağışıklık sistemi olan hastalarda hastalık ciddi olduğu için tedavi de aynı şekilde önerilmez. Bu, insanlar ve kediler için de geçerlidir. Tedavi edildiğinde, bunu yapmak için kullanılan uzun bir uyuşturucu listesi vardır, ancak önleme yolunda fiili tedaviden daha fazla mevcut bulunmaktadır.
  
  Yani günlük mikroskopik dehşet dozunuz var. Unutmayalım, eylemlerinizin kontrolü her zaman mümkün değildir. Bazen doğa aptalca kararlar almanıza yardımcı olmak için beynin içinde korkunç bir bodysnatching dakika canavar bitki.