27 Dec 2006 (Sawf News) - New research suggests a parasitic infection can cause behavioral changes in humans, causing men to behave stupid and women to ooze sex!
The infection is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasitic protozoa that can reproduce sexually only in cats but can spread to any warm blooded animal including humans. The protozoa is believed to infect around 33% of the US population and nearly 65% of the people worldwide.
In warm blooded animals other than cats the protozoa lodges itself within brain and muscle cells, where it is safe from the host's immune system. Within the cells it reproduces asexually causing the infected cell to eventually burst at which point the protozoa is annihilated by the host’s immune system. This mechanism keeps the infection contained. However, some cysts always survive and the infection is difficult to remove entirely even using antibiotics.
Human infections are usually asymptomatic and, till recently, considered insignificant in healthy people.
An article in the January/February 2007 edition of Australasian Science magazine entitled "Alley Cats & Sex Kittens" by Nicky Boulter, an infectious disease researcher in Sydney University of Technology, suggests that Toxoplasma infections could be responsible for significant behavioral changes in humans, like the ones observed in rats with whom humans share a gene pool.
The parasite makes infected rats and mice less fearful of cats and consequently more susceptible to be eaten up by them, a fact that gives the parasite the opportunity to reenter its preferred host to sexually reproduce!
According to the new research, personality changes observed in humans vary with the gender.
Infected men display lower IQs and shorter attention span. They tend to achieve lower levels of education but are more inclined to break rules and take risks, be more independent, more anti-social, suspicious, jealous and morose. As a result they become less attractive to women.
Infected women on the other hand display a tendency to be more outgoing, friendly and more promiscuous. As a result they become more attractive to men!
"In short," say Nicky Boulter, "it can make men behave like alley cats and women behave like sex kittens"
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