This Explains It!!!!!!!!!!!!

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beemerb

Moderator
Parasite 'makes rat lose its fear of cat'

BY NIGEL HAWKES, SCIENCE EDITOR
RATS infected by a parasite lose their fear of cats and
even develop a fatal attraction for them, Oxford scientists
have found. The behaviour is induced by the parasite to
ensure that the rats are caught and eaten. The parasite
completes its life-cycle in the cat, before being excreted.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan, a single-cell organism
that can infect all mammals, including human beings. Rats
carry the parasite as dormant cysts lodged in their brains.

The report by Dr Manuel Berdoy, Dr Joanne Webster
and Dr David Macdonald in Proceedings of the Royal
Society showed that affected rats lose their fear of cats
and are even drawn to feline smells.

They believe Toxoplasma gondii could alter the
personalities of human beings it infects. About 22 per cent
of the British population carry it. Dr Webster said the
parasite appeared to reduce anxiety in a similar way to
Valium. http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/news/pages/Times/frontpage.html?999

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Age and deceit will overcome youth and speed.
I'm old and deceitful.
 
About 22 per cent of the British population carry it. Dr Webster said the
parasite appeared to reduce anxiety in a similar way to Valium.

And there you have it: British gun control is being pushed by parasites!
 
Well, let's see - an effect similar to valium? So it placates them. Yes, they stood idly by while their gov't took their gun rights away - I'd say valium sounds about right.
 
Geez...almost makes me glad I didn't do the tango with that British model who liked me so much.

Saw a special on Discovery about a parasite that invades caterpillars and drives them mad...they then crawl up to get eaten by birds...then by fish and so on...wonder if they are the same parasites? They used a lot of close-up filming of the insane 'pillars-man, gave me the heebie-jeebies. Like watching someone with projectile vomiting or something....'pillars eyes wear bugging out spasmodically on their stalks and such.....I don't want it!

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Satanta, the Whitebear
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My</A> Disability petition: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/DisbHelp/petition.html
 
If y'all really want to get parinoid, maybe the government gave the Brits this. Now, thats a freaky thought.

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DUM SPIRO SPERO
While I Breath I Hope
 
I hate to rain on the parade, but T. gondii is a fairly common thing just about everywhere, not just the UK. Like many critters, zoonosis is a possibility, so humans can contract the parasites fairly easily.

If you've ever heard the cautions about pregnant women and cat litter boxes, this is why...the buggers tend to cross the placental barrier and can commonly cause spontaneous abortions/miscarriages.

I'd have to dig out a bit more information (been a while since my last parasitology course), but searching for Toxoplama or Toxoplasmosis at CDC will give you all the information you need. For example, http://www.cdc.gov/epo/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr4902a5.htm

As the saying goes (in parasitology humor at least) let's hope to not get parasites, but if we have to get them, then let us get our own, and not those intended for other species. As humans aren't the definitive hosts for T. gondii, the results can be rather off from normal.

[This message has been edited by Serval (edited July 26, 2000).]
 
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