Toxoplasmosis - The Return of the Puppet Masters

[Skyfarmr]

Was just perusing the new forum features and came across a post from two years ago regarding our dog Simon and his suspected T gondii infection. Thought I'd take the opportunity to follow up on that post (March 25, 2016). Since the discontinuance of his idiopathic head shaking incidents following iodine supplementation (1 drop Lugol's every other day), we have only observed it one time in the last two years. He may be having them when we aren't home, but haven't observed any incidences when we are.

(Also, I've since learned that his taste for bunny nibbles is an indication of his need for enzymes and are not a source of pathogens for dogs.)

 

[Ruth]

Toxoplasmosis - a parasite which enables rats to be eaten by cats.

A thought occurred to me, seeing as humans can also be infected by this parasite, that the parasite may be further enabling its own interests by making humans more amenable to the owning of pets, in particular, cats, and this in turn would give the parasite a further advantage in the proliferation of its species. It's interesting that half the human population owns cats.
There is a certain amount of symbiosis implied here.

Maybe. Apparently it also makes infected humans more "attractive" ..... to other humans? Although I'm not so sure how making cats more attractive to humans, makes humans more attractive to other humans. Weird little bug.

https://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2022/03/28/humans_infected_with_mind-altering_parasite_seen_as_more_attractive_823945.html