Humans have spent years calling cats freeloaders, providing us with the bare minimum direction to justify a bowl of food and water in exchange for little in return. Turns out, all these years of even making fun of them, they’ve been host to the true freeloader, one of the world’s most successful parasites, and one that can potentially inflict some real damage on us.
As Gizmodo reports, researchers are urging the World Health Organization to classify toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, as a “neglected tropical disease.” NTD’s are a group of 20 to 30 infections that collectively affect about a billion people on Earth at any given time. They are “neglected” because they historically received disproportionately low funding and media attention compared to some of the bigger names in the disease world, like malaria or AIDS.
The researchers, who publish their findings in the aptly named journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, argue that this little parasite has been flying under the radar despite having infected about a third of the global population, including around one in 10 Americans.
The parasite spreads through cat feces, but can also spread through undercooked meat, contaminated water, and unwashed produce. If your cat is also your private chef who’s prepping your medium-rare steaks and salads without washing their hands after using the litter box, you’re really playing with fire.
You Could Have Toxoplasmosis and Not Even Know It
Most people never even notice that they’re infected since the human immune system does a decent enough job at keeping the parasite at bay. But that doesn’t apply to pregnant people, newborns, and the immunocompromised. Toxoplasmosis can cause miscarriages, neurological damage, and, since it can embed itself in the human eye, can cause lifelong vision damage. It’s no surprise that it’s the leading cause of retinal infections in the world.
If toxoplasmosis sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because it became famous for being the parasite that can infect rats and mentally manipulate them, making them less afraid of cats, making them more likely to become dinner, so they can hop into a cat.
As for its mind control effects on humans, some studies have linked toxoplasmosis infection to subtle behavioral changes and an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, but scientists are still trying to figure out just how firm that connection is. Again, the human body is pretty good at fending off this particular parasite.
Giving toxoplasmosis the neglected tropical disease status would unlock tons of funding for better treatments, vaccines, and widespread preventative efforts in poorer parts of the world where infection rates are at their highest.
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