people infected with this fairly common parasite were ranked as more attractive and healthier than the non-infected, according to research published in the journal peerj .
toxoplasma gondii (t. gondii) is a fairly common parasite that nestles in the skeletal muscle, myocardium, brain or eyes of warm-blooded animals. it can only reproduce in the digestive tract of cats and is spread to other animals (including humans) when they consume food or water contaminated with cat feces — or eat undercooked meat already infected with the parasite.
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the researchers also point to several past studies that have found males infected with t. gondii tend to have higher testosterone levels , which correlates with a larger physicality and other testosterone-centric traits, which may increase their sexual attractiveness.
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but before anyone starts volunteering to clean out their neighbour’s litter box, it’s also important to note the negative side-effects of being infected with this parasite. research indicates that those infected have slower reaction times than average and a higher likelihood of getting into traffic accidents (thought to be a result of the poor reflexes.)
t. gondii is actually pretty dangerous to anyone with a compromised immune system. this includes babies born to mothers who were just infected with the parasite — coming into contact with the bug before the body’s immune system has had a chance to handle it can cause severe toxoplasmosis .
humans aren’t the only hosts impacted by t. gondii. previous research indicates that rats infected with the parasite may ignore ingrained survival tactics like avoiding areas where cats are present. some cases even suggest that the predator-avoidance trait in infected rats can switch, causing them to become attracted to hungry felines. why this is the case isn’t really known, however, previous research shows that the presence of this infection in rodents correlates with a significant increase in the metabolism of dopamine — how the brain absorbs this feel-good hormone — which could be connected to the rats suddenly liking the very animal that also likes to eat them. theoretically this benefits the parasite. since the parasite reproduces in the digestive tract of cats, it would need to somehow be swallowed by the cat to finish its life cycle — the poor rat be damned.
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