Mammals such as cats and mice serve as intermediate host for Toxoplasma gondii, but unexplained reports indicate that mice who naturally offset cats lose that survival sense of urgency following Toxoplasma infection thereby been left at the mercy of cats.
I have asked many experts on Toxoplasma research but they also seem not to have a consensus on this observation. I think the parasite after establishment in mice, may migrate to the brain or some of their bioproducts may modulate or change the chemistry of important brain regions involved in thought and emotional control. It will be interesting if a causal relation is found.
Alex, could it be that, that the part of the brain has been altered or damaged from the parasite as in non chemical release or deadened sensation that would normally cause the synapse to fire and therefore no release takes place? I hope this makes sense. I am thinking that the parasite cased a break in the circuit sort of speak and that possibly the hemi-speres of the brain are not communicating properly. I was not sure how to word it correctly.
Hi Alex,
May I suggest you to read the following paper (perhaps you already jnow it), as a strating point; then check papers citing this paper, I guess you'll have some tracks for answers.
Cheers, Thierry
Vyas, Ajai; Kim, Seon-Kyeong; Giacomini, Nicholas; et al. (2007) Behavioral changes induced by Toxoplasma infection of rodents are highly specific to aversion of cat odors. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Volume: 104 Issue: 15 Pages: 6442-6447.
Alex, Is it also possible that the parasite may have multiplied. I am thinking like an earwig or a tick.
Hi Alex,
Another interesting papers about this subject:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0023866
http://schizophreniabulletin.oxfordjournals.org/content/33/3/757.full
Toxoplasma migrates to the amygdala where it modifies the fear response. True in humans too, there are a number of papers documenting this. Toxoplasma makes the infected mouse easy prey, completing the parasite cycle. Most Motorcycle accident victims are Toxo positive, apparently.
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