Article of the day....maybe of the year....

jujube

jujube

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I think I'm in Florida, but I'm not sure any more.
I was Googling my way down my "front page" and I came across this article, entitled "People Infected by Brain-Altering Cat Parasite are More Attractive, Finds Survey" from something called IFLScience.

OK, this has to be the strangest one I've seen in a long time. I skimmed through the first part of the "study" and apparently the Toxoplasma Gordii parasite can make you more attractive. I'm not sure just HOW it alters the brain, though. They didn't mention anything about it eating your brain or making you dumber or smarter, just more attractive. Wow, they should bottle that!

Apparently once you get it, it can be sexually transmitted but at least you will become more attractive, I guess.

I'm so glad I'm an old lady and don't have to worry about getting cat parasites.....not even from a cat, no less. So, now you have to be suspicious of that extra-handsome guy or gal you just met in the bar ("Why, yes, I'd like to go out with you. Have you been tested for Toxoplasma Gordii?"). I'd sure hate to be dating these days........

I'm hoping this whole thing is a delayed April Fool joke.....
 

There is always all sorts of very weird stuff happening in the microbial world. And there are so many conflicting things happening there, the scientists still are at a loss for predicting lots of things. If that thing is a force, there could also, easily, be a counteracting force.

So, you know, not worth spending time dwelling on all the things we can't control.
 

jujube said:
I was Googling my way down my "front page" and I came across this article, entitled "People Infected by Brain-Altering Cat Parasite are More Attractive, Finds Survey" from something called IFLScience.

OK, this has to be the strangest one I've seen in a long time. I skimmed through the first part of the "study" and apparently the Toxoplasma Gordii parasite can make you more attractive. I'm not sure just HOW it alters the brain, though. They didn't mention anything about it eating your brain or making you dumber or smarter, just more attractive. Wow, they should bottle that!

Apparently once you get it, it can be sexually transmitted but at least you will become more attractive, I guess.

I'm so glad I'm an old lady and don't have to worry about getting cat parasites.....not even from a cat, no less. So, now you have to be suspicious of that extra-handsome guy or gal you just met in the bar ("Why, yes, I'd like to go out with you. Have you been tested for Toxoplasma Gordii?"). I'd sure hate to be dating these days........

I'm hoping this whole thing is a delayed April Fool joke.....
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What sites have you been visiting? :ROFLMAO:
 
Did a Google search and the only link to the article is HERE on SF - So, it was either an April Fool's joke or pulled as medical conspiracy theorist garbage! (Some folks will fall for anything!) Meow (-:
 
I did a Google search as well, and found an interesting paper.

It says that 1 in 3 people are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a brain parasite carried by cats.

Not great news, but it also says impacts on humans, if any, are not well understood. No mention of getting better looking. I did see a documentary once that talked about this, apparently mice that become infected with it are attracted to the odor of cat urine. Don't know if I have it, but I certainly am not attracted to cat urine...

Another interesting article.
 
Having had many cats - and all but one of them strays - I'm probably one of the three with the brain parasite. Most of the ones that I took in were sickly. Now, I'm wondering if there is a way to test for them before the post-mortem stage!
 
Della said:
this virus has been linked to schizophrenia for at least 30 years. It's why pregnant women are advised to stay away from the litter box.
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Thanks, that is a good paper. One of the lines of evidence I heard discussed in a documentary was the increase in schizophrenia in Europe as cat ownership increased in the middle ages. The link is still a bit tenuous, but worth considering.

@Della have you seen anything as to how a cat owner can protect themselves from the virus?
 
I think the main thing is to be very careful with the litter box, and wash your hands well after cleaning it.

Also wash hands after petting the cat before handling food. My cat lady MIL used to let her cats wander around on the kitchen counter and that would be very unsafe. I trained my cat not to jump on the counter by spraying him in the face with a small water bottle. I only had to do it once, after that I would just show him the bottle if he looked like he was thinking of hopping up to help me mince the chicken.
 
Della said:
Also wash hands after petting the cat before handling food. My cat lady MIL used to let her cats wander around on the kitchen counter and that would be very unsafe. I trained my cat not to jump on the counter by spraying him in the face with a small water bottle. I only had to do it once, after that I would just show him the bottle if he looked like he was thinking of hopping up to help me mince the chicken.
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I did this too. They knew.
 

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