![]() Humans can also contract the parasite, through contact with soil contaminated by the faeces of carriers or through eating infected meat. For rodents, this means being eaten and infected individuals are less fearful of cats and more active, making them easier prey. If it finds itself in another animal, it travels to the brain and changes the host’s behaviour to maximise its chances of ending up in a cat. So like most parasites, T.gondii has a complex life cycle designed to get it into its final host. Our feline companions are its preferred home and only in their bodies can it mature and reproduce. ![]() Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled brain parasite spread by cats. ![]() ![]() According to research by from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a common brain parasite, could be influencing human culture across the globe. Other animals – parasites – can do this too. But words and images are not the only things that can affect our brains and thoughts. We rail against nanny states, we react badly to media hype and we are appalled at the idea of brainwashing. The thought that others might be instead controlling our actions makes us uneasy. We like to think that we are masters of our own fates.
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