Wolves infected with a common parasite are more likely to lead a pack. Infected animals are also more likely to leave their home packs and strike out on their own.
The parasite makes its hosts bold — a mechanism that increases its survival. To reproduce sexually, T. gondii must reach the body of a cat, usually when its host is eaten by one. Think cougars, not house cats!

#parasites #wolves #mountain lions #cougars #packleaders #toxoplasmagondii #braininvasion
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03836-9

'Toxic masculinity' may be caused by an actual, infectious, brain-altering parasite

Interesting topic for a research project — saying, testing random samples and less-random samples (e.g., those convicted of violence against women).

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/12/26/2140309/--Toxic-masculinity-may-be-caused-by-an-actual-infectious-brain-altering-parasite

#research #parasite #ToxoplasmaGondii #infection

Your daily reminder of who is really in charge around here... 😺💸

"Students (n = 1495) who tested IgG positive for Toxoplasma Gondii exposure were 1.4× more likely to major in business and 1.7× more likely to have an emphasis in ‘management and entrepreneurship' over other business-related emphases."

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.0822

#Toxoplasma #Gondii #ToxoplasmaGondii #BrainWorms #Caturday

@arstechnica

"A parasite associated with bold behavior is also associated with wolf pack leadership, according to a new study"

With up to *half* of the world population infected with #ToxoplasmaGondii, studying it sounds like a smart idea.

Maybe also study how to get rid of the parasitic infection.

There's plenty of #aggression in the world already as things stand.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis

#toxoplasmosis #cats #psychology

Behavior-changing parasite moves wolves to the head of the pack - Enlarge (credit: Russell Burden)

Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiqui... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=1900621 #behavioralscience #toxoplasmagondii #parasitology #yellowstone #science #biology #wolves

#biology #wolves #toxoplasmagondii #mindalteringParasite #packleader
Diagram showing the hypothesized wolf-cougar-T. gondii feedback loop. (Meyer, Cassidy et al., Communications Biology, 2022)
A Strange Thing Happens to Wolves Infected by Infamous Mind-Altering Parasite
A study of 26 years’ worth of wolf behavioral data, and an analysis of the blood of 229 wolves, has shown that infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii makes wolves 46 times more likely to become a pack leader.
The research shows that the effects of this parasite in the wild have been horrendously understudied – and its role in ecosystems and animal behavior underestimated…
https://www.sciencealert.com/a-strange-thing-happens-to-wolves-infected-by-infamous-mind-altering-parasite

Interesting, but I think the results need verification.

"Meyer and Cassidy found that wolves [infected with Toxoplasma gondii] were 11 times more likely than uninfected ones to leave their birth family to start a new pack, and 46 times more likely to become pack leaders — often the only wolves in the pack that breed."

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-03836-9

#ToxoplasmaGondii #Parasites #Biology #Behaviour #Wolves #Nature

Annoying Cat Parasite Has Again Been Linked to Psychotic Episodes, But Only in Men
https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-cat-parasite-again-linked-to-psychotic-episodes-but-it-s-complicated

#cat #parasite #Toxoplasmagondii #neurologicaldisorders

New research indicating that the the behaviour change in mice caused by the parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, is generic and not specific to cats. It generally makes mice more curious and less fearful (to rats, guinea pigs, etc.).

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/01/brain-parasite-may-strip-away-rodents-fear-predators-not-just-cats

#Biology #Mice #Cats #Parasites #ToxoplasmaGondii

(a.k.a. the list of #pokémon that can harbor the reproductive stage of #ToxoplasmaGondii, a.k.a. #cats)

:meowth:​ :meowstic_f:​ :meowstic:​ :meowth_alola:​ :glameow:​
:persian_alola:​ :persian:​ :raikou:​ :skitty:​ :delcatty:​
:purrloin:​ :purugly:​ :shinx:​ :luxio:​ :luxray:​

It is :unown:​ if :poochyena:​ or :mightyena:​ are #feline enough to turn off their instentinal #D6D.

You may have read alarming headlines about how Toxoplasma gondii could cause mental illness in you. Here's what we know about it and, of course, the truth is less alarming.

#Health #Biology #Cats #ToxoplasmaGondii

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/02/reality-check-can-cat-poop-cause-mental-illness

[#Actu] « La toxoplasmose altère le fonctionnement de notre cerveau » https://www.futura-sciences.com/sante/actualites/maladie-toxoplasmose-altere-fonctionnement-notre-cerveau-73540/#xtor=RSS-8 #synapsesglutamatergiques #protéinessynaptiques #réponseimmunitaire #toxoplasmagondii #infectioncachée #toxoplasmose #grossesse #maladie #cerveau #chat