Jaroslav Flegr is no kook. And yet, for years, he suspected his mind had been taken over by parasites that had invaded his brain. So the prolific biologist took his science-fiction hunch into the lab.
Posted on 06/22/2012 2:56:31 AM PDT by Bon mots
Jaroslav Flegr is no kook. And yet, for years, he suspected his mind had been taken over by parasites that had invaded his brain. So the prolific biologist took his science-fiction hunch into the lab.
What he’s now discovering will startle you. Could tiny organisms carried by house cats be creeping into our brains, causing everything from car wrecks to schizophrenia?
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Long known to be deadly to the unborn, it is now clinically proven to severely damage human brains.
Long known to alter the behavior of infected mice and rats - it actually encourages them to commit suicide by seeking out cats. Infected rodents find the smell of cat urine irresistible and they seek out the cat... which results in them being eaten, thereby passing the disease on to the cat... etc.
Now, we find out it changes human behavior and alters our brains. Scary and very true...
More Articles
Mood altering parasite makes women more friendly and men into jerks.
Mood altering parasite – Fox News article
Large increase in traffic accidents thanks to toxoplasmosis infections
Schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis – Increases chances of schizophrenia
There are many that think that Toxoplasmosis may be responsible for changing the political affiliation of people - that is, it makes you vote Democrat and support illogical economic and social positions.
Oh nooooz...I feed about 10 cats every day, and several of them come into the house.
You are infected.
Vote Obama. :)
"...this guy would make me cross the street in traffic, tell me he hasn't a dark past when it comes to cats...I wouldn't let him trim my claws."
PING this one over to Slings And Arrows. :)=^..^=
OOOOOOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOZZZZZ! If this is infection then infect me! Love me some furry personality ball. :)
There's just sumthin' about this guy that ....
Whatever you do, DON’T try to give one of them a pill!
1. Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.
5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, holding front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat’s head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from below spouse’s armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat’s mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Force cat’s mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour pint of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room; sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm, and removes pill remnants from right eye. Also, be quite still for your tetanus shot before beginning your 10-day regimen of antibiotics (MfM). Stop by furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Arrange for vet to make a house call.
I know what you mean.
He looks like he has TOXOPLASMOSIS!
But it's not just him, there are more and more studies showing that it modifies human behavior. The first studies I had seen were done in Asia.
Does it give you bad hair, too?
He looks like he has TOXOPLASMOSIS!It's the first thing I thought when I saw this picture of him.
But seriously, I think there's something to this. I read this and it seems plausible to me.
Now we know how the term “Crazy Cat Lady” came into use.
I cannot find the original studies that alerted me to this, but they were done in Asia - at least the ones that I remembered. I went to search for them to send them to a doctor friend who does not speak good English and found this..
"The Economist" article is well worth reading. Also shows that the story is going mainstream and is not just some nutty theory. Quite a number of serious researchers and institutions are following up on this.
Good reason to eliminate feral cats without prejudice.
LMAO! I’m sitting on a train reading that laughing my butt off and people are staring at me like I’m nuts. THaNKs A LOT
Shot at 2008-03-06
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