You may already know about the horrifying kinds of brain parasites that animals can get. Keep in mind, though, that humans are animals, too. We can get them just as easily, and none are more common than Toxoplasma gondii (not to be confused with the Australian brain parasite/Paul Hogan movie Crocodile Gondii).
We’ve known about T. gondii for years, like how pregnant woman should avoid it because it can infect the fetus and cause severe brain problems and even death. What we’re just figuring out now is that it can have other effects on otherwise healthy people who happen to get infected, including riskier behavior, schizophrenia, and increased risk of suicide.
What’s really scary is just how common it is. You might have it in your house this very second, hidden away in a box filled with crap. And I mean that literally: The most common infection vector cat shit. You can get it by handling it improperly and/or not washing your hands after rooting around in your cat’s litter box (you probably shouldn’t hide things in there). Hey, maybe that explains crazy cat ladies.
So, if you’ve found that, since getting a cat, you’ve started taking more risks or just plain stopped giving a fuck, you very well might have fucking brain worms (or, more accurately, fucking brain protozoa).
Image via Wikipedia
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