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Cat parasite that worms into humans’ brains can drive victims to suicide

Home - by - August 19, 2012 - 23:15 America/New_York - 38 Comments

Daily Mail UK
The Toxoplasma gondii parasite is only able to reproduce in a cat's gut

 

A parasite found in cats is tampering with people’s brains and driving them to suicide, research suggests.

Scientists have shown that men and women infected with a bug that breeds in cats’ stomachs and worms into people’s brains are seven times more likely to attempt suicide than others.

They say that Toxoplasma gondii may tinker with the delicate chemistry of the brain and screening people for it could help identify those at risk of taking their own lives.

 

The parasite, which is carried by many Britons, has a complicated life cycle but can only breed inside cats. The microscopic eggs are passed on in cat faeces, spreading the infection.

Pregnant women are advised not to empty cat litter trays because the parasite can be fatal to unborn babies. The bug can also be picked up from contaminated food.
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» 38 Comments

  1. Corona

    August 19th, 2012

    I will still hug them. Cats are cooler than parasites. Um, thinking political there?

    Thumb up +4

     
  2. Strike-Anywhere Ukulele

    August 19th, 2012

    4 more years of obama will have the same effect.

    Noteworthy Comment Thumb up +12

     
  3. Bad Brad

    August 19th, 2012

    I knew it. Strange pussy will kill ya.

    I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

    Thumb up +7

     
  4. Corona

    August 19th, 2012

    The black female cat on the left had it’s right ear snipped to show it was originally feral and has been spayed by a non-profit organization. (Just so ya know.)

    Thumb up 0

     
  5. Corona

    August 19th, 2012

    Damn, they are so cute!

    Thumb up +2

     
  6. Katechon

    August 19th, 2012

    My guess?
    The cat in the back = GOP (mean look)
    Black cat = Democat
    Front cat = swinging indy

    Thumb up 0

     
  7. Strike-Anywhere Ukulele

    August 19th, 2012

    I won’t have cats because they won’t listen to me or play catch or stop intruders or keep cats away ….

    Noteworthy Comment Thumb up +14

     
  8. Xavier

    August 19th, 2012

    Lies spread by dog loving Poms.

    Thumb up +6

     
  9. Bad Brad

    August 19th, 2012

    Strike-Anywhere Ukulele

    “or keep cats away ….”

    Thanks dude, you owe me a lap top. mine just shorted out from excess Jack on the key board.

    Thumb up +2

     
  10. Moe Tom

    August 19th, 2012

    Fuck Cats.

    Thumb up +4

     
  11. Bad Brad

    August 19th, 2012

    Moe Tom, Not speaken from personal experience ya understand, but you can go to jail for that.

    Thumb up +7

     
  12. Strike-Anywhere Ukulele

    August 19th, 2012

    Bad Brad

    Sorry to hear about the lap top. Put it in a huge baggie full of white rice for a few days.

    My girlfriend has a cat that’s had runny poop for about two years now and it hangs its ass over the side of the cat box to crap on the floor. wtf? She hates me for complaining about it. Now I am worried she might have that worm they are talking about and might try to kill me or something. Explains a lot.

    Thumb up +6

     
  13. Corona

    August 19th, 2012

    I love cats, especially feral cats. Because they’d rip your face off and hug me. So screw you. And the dog you rode in on.

    Thumb up +3

     
  14. Bad Brad

    August 19th, 2012

    Anybody here ever see a domestic cats skeleton? It looks like something the Anti Christ came up with.

    Thumb up +3

     
  15. Moe Tom

    August 19th, 2012

    Cats are like progs. Always kissing ass and looking for a handout. Nasty smellin’,lazy, useless. Although I do see a neighbors cat who is a real cat. I have seen it nail chip monks, birds, and once almost a squirrel. Quite a hunter. Wild lookin’ motherflacker, not at all like those pussies you see on TV with their special food and special shit boxes. Bloody disgusting.

    Thumb up +5

     
  16. Bad Brad

    August 19th, 2012

    Strike-Anywhere Ukulele, Apology accepted. Kill the girl friend leave the cat. OOOPs, I mean Kill the cat , leave the girl friend. Find a dawg lover. What you describe is some whacked bull shit.

    Thumb up 0

     
  17. Strike-Anywhere Ukulele

    August 19th, 2012

    I’m gonna leave this post now so as not to piss off any more cat lovers who could potentially go zombie on me.

    Thumb up +4

     
  18. Moxie Man

    August 19th, 2012

    Cat Scratch Fever²

    Thumb up +2

     
  19. Moe Tom

    August 19th, 2012

    Brad. I meant that figuratively, not literally, as slow Joe Biden would say.

    Thumb up +3

     
  20. Ruble

    August 19th, 2012

    Hey my name is Ruble and I’m a vet and I’m 41 y/o. And I take my oath very seriously. And I’m gonna snitch you for fucking cats and for incitation to killing dirty-cat-loving girlfriends.

    Mmmmmmkay?

    And I hope the Department of Cat Health and Welfare will take *care* of y’all.

    Thumb up +4

     
  21. Ruble

    August 19th, 2012

    Too late Moe.

    I’ve already denounced you to the DCHW.

    For fucking cats.

    Thumb up +4

     
  22. Bad Brad

    August 19th, 2012

    Moe Tom, That’s some funny sh&t. We suddenly have a bunch of cats. We had to put a Lab, and a Chesapeake down last year, lab due to age, poor Chessie got cancer. You can’t freaken compare a dumb ass cat to a dog. End of discussion.

    Thumb up +1

     
  23. Bad Brad

    August 19th, 2012

    Ruble,Moe Tom, That’s some funny shit.

    Thumb up +2

     
  24. Moxie Man

    August 19th, 2012

    Cats are just mutant Pit Bulls.

    Thumb up +3

     
  25. Edith McCrotch

    August 20th, 2012

    Oh Moe…

    Cats don’t NEED us…

    whereas Dogs do.

    so which are more to be more of the democratic type?

    Thumb up +4

     
  26. Xavier

    August 20th, 2012

    This cat eats chipmunk and rabbits right down to the last drop – there ain’t nothing left, not a scrap. I’ve seen him crouch in the grass and leap straight up 6-7 feet and catch barn swallows right out of the air. Fucker claws me and then drinks my blood. Somehow he managed to survive all winter as a stray and I caught him while trapping for racoons.

    There’s pussy cats out there but this ain’t one. He’s a killer.

    Thumb up +3

     
  27. Moe Tom

    August 20th, 2012

    I did never kill or fuck a cat. But in my younger days I saw a neighbor drown a whole litter of kittens because his mother was a fucking nut who had about 20 cats hanging around the house.That was back in the late 40′s so come and get me. I approved of the execution.

    Thumb up +2

     
  28. Ruble

    August 20th, 2012

    I was joking, impersonnating a moron on a previous dog thread who did make such a threat. I was kidding, Moe !!!

    :P

    Thumb up +3

     
  29. Bad Brad

    August 20th, 2012

    Hee, Hee. Tom, that’s not what Ruble told me.

    Earth to Major Tom. Ruble, is actually Katechon. He’s one of the good guys and making a joke. Actually a good joke. Laugh, thank him, stop drinking, turn in. That’s what I’m doing.

    Believe me we both have the utmost respect for you, even though apparently you do strange shit with cats. Talk to you tomorrow bro.

    Thumb up +3

     
  30. charlotte

    August 20th, 2012

    Pity Obongo doesn’t like cats…

    Thumb up +3

     
  31. Toaster

    August 20th, 2012

    @Charlotte-don’t worry, when the evil one (Soros’ boss) is done with 0bama, I have a feeling it’s not going to be too good for him. Probably worse that kat brain parasites.

    Thumb up +1

     
  32. Death_By_Farts

    August 20th, 2012

    I’ve decided to change my screen name to Death_By_Pussy.

    Thumb up +1

     
  33. RosalindJ

    August 20th, 2012

    The bit about feline parasites causing brain damage explains a lot.

    That said, I have a fondness for Maine Coon cats. They behave more like a dog. The only other cat I had respect for was an old barn cat that killed snakes. That one knew it was a predator and didn’t want to be anyone’s friend, TYVM.

    I have a dog. :)

    Thumb up +1

     
  34. Roadmaster

    August 20th, 2012

    Guess what? Moozlims LOVE kitties – HATE dogs!

    Wannabet a goodly portion of goat f-er’s are infected?

    Explains a lot, doesn’t it?

    Thumb up +1

     
  35. Corona

    August 20th, 2012

    “Cat parasite that worms into humans’ brains can drive victims to suicide”

    Yeah, and Obamas’ policies can’t. Uh huh.

    Thumb up 0

     
  36. ern goose

    August 20th, 2012

    heard cats, can’t do it.

    Thumb up 0

     
  37. beachmom

    August 20th, 2012

    Do those people not wash their hands?

    Thumb up +2

     
  38. Stevo

    August 20th, 2012

    So, Biden is a cat person. Who’da thunk it.

    Thumb up +1