COMMENTARY | The derogatory term "crazy cat lady" is not just talk. According to Czech scientist Jaroslav Flegr, the syndrome is very real. While he is not the first scientist to point out the link, it is common knowledge that Toxoplasma gondii found in cat feces causes the illness toxoplasmosis. Flegr says the parasite manipulates a person's brain. In other words, your cat is making you crazy, according to an article in the Toronto Star.
Experts convened Sunday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Vancouver, British Columbia, to discuss the issues related to this prevalent parasite. The findings were conclusive in that Toxoplasmosis is dangerous, but they also state there is no need for panic. Severe pathologies are a result of several complex interactions, of which Toxoplasma gondii is only a factor.
Approximately 60 million people unknowingly carry toxoplasmosis, according to estimates from reports through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flegr estimates 30 percent of the Czech Republic population is infected. There are fewer cases in Canada and the U.S.
Fatal Attraction
Joanne Webster, a professor of parasite epidemiology at Imperial College London, has also studied the effects of Toxoplasma gondii in rats. She says a "toxo-infected rat looks and acts, in general, happy and healthy and very much like an uninfected rat." The striking difference is the part humans should take note of. Toxoplasma gondii manipulates the brain causing the rat to be less fearful including a strange attraction to cats. For obvious reasons this could be deadly for the rat.
Crazy cat lady, crazy cat man differences
Flegr discovered a difference in how Toxoplasmosis affects men and women. Men who are infected tend to act suspicious, while women are extra warm and caring. This may be linked to the fact that testosterone levels are affected differently, increasing in men and decreasing in women compared to uninfected counterparts.
Psychotic symptoms
Although Flegr connects the dots between psychotic symptoms and serious disorders including schizophrenia, his intention is not to scare people. Flegr wants to make society aware of the manipulation potential and wants to shine a spotlight on his studies that link traffic accidents with the illness. His research leads him to believe infected individuals need to be more careful when driving. "Latent toxoplasmosis is to blame for one million traffic-related deaths," Flegr writes in a 2010 study.
Not all cats are out to get you
Instead, not all cats carry toxoplasmosis according to CNN. In fact, they only secrete oocysts when they are young. With that said, even if only 10-percent of pet cats were infected, the number is staggering considering there are over 86 million pet cats in the U.S. alone. Final advice, wash your hands.
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