I saw a blurb somewhere on this the other day, and it kept nagging at the corner of my mind until I went and tracked down the story today. I'm
curious if there is anything concrete to it, or if it is out in the realm of science fiction.
Mind Control by Parasites
Half of the world's human population is infected with Toxoplasma, parasites in the body—and the brain. Remember that.
Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite found in the guts of cats; it sheds eggs that are picked up by rats and other animals that are eaten by cats.
Toxoplasma forms cysts in the bodies of the intermediate rat hosts, including in the brain.
Dr. E. Fuller Torrey (Associate Director for Laboratory Research at the Stanley Medical Research Institute) noticed links between Toxoplasma and
schizophrenia in human beings, approximately three billion of whom are infected with T. gondii:
Toxoplasma infection is associated with damage to astrocytes, glial cells which surround and support neurons. Schizophrenia is also associated with
damage to astrocytes.
Pregnant women with high levels of antibodies to Toxoplasma are more likely to give birth to children who will develop schizophrenia.
Human cells raised in petri dishes, and infected with Toxoplasma, will respond to drugs like haloperidol; the growth of the parasite stops.
Haloperidol is an antipsychotic, used to treat schizophrenia.
link
Half the world's population infected with a parasite that causes schizophrenia? That would explain alot, especially these days. There is another
article on the same website that takes things even further, postulating that human history may have been shaped by interactions between such parasites
and their human hosts.
A parasitic microbe commonly found in cats might have helped shape entire human cultures by manipulating the personalities of infected individuals,
according to a new study.
Infection by a Toxoplasma gondii could make some individuals more prone to some forms of neuroticism and could lead to differences among cultures if
enough people are infected, says Kevin Lafferty, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
In a survey of different countries, Lafferty found that people living in those with higher rates of T. gondii infection scored higher on average for
neuroticism, defined as an emotional or mental disorder characterized by high levels of anxiety, insecurity or depression.
His finding is detailed in the Aug. 2 issue of the journal for Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biology.
Other studies have also found links between the parasite and schizophrenia. T. gondii infection is known to damage astrocytes, support cells in the
brain that are also affected during schizophrenia. Pregnant women with high levels of antibodies to the parasite are also more likely to give birth to
children who will develop the disorder.
In light of such studies, Lafferty wondered whether high rates of T. gondii infection in a culture could shift the average personality of its
individuals.
link
I've often wondered if the alien invasion was internal, with the human race, rather than the earth, as host. Schistosomes and other weird worms with
multiple life stages give me the creeps. Is this thing some kind of biological implant, a nanotech device from the ancient past? Worms and spiders
and snails, inside!
Get me some Praziquantil, quick! For me and my cat.
