how a parasite may change history

[DariusAmurdarja]

Since we have alot of zombie related topics here recently i would like to introduce the Toxoplasma gondii parasite to you. They have an extremly complex life cycle that goes through many hosts. It is able to change the behavior of its host. One example for that are infected rats. They stop to be shy animals and walk on open places to attract predators. Recent research also suggests they go actively to places where cats are dominant. How that change in behavior is achieved is still not known. Toxoplasma gondii can also infect humans. While it can create some serious symptoms in most cases it stays mostly unnoticed. A high percentage of hosts develop some kind of schizophrenia. It seems, that the parasite does something with the mind of his host. But it is still unknown what exactly is going on. Almost all people who are infected by this parasite tend to be calm, introverted and conservative. The highest infection level world wide is in switzerland. Psychologial tests indicate that the infection leads to massive changes in personality the longer the person is infected. Men start to mistrust others and care less about rules while women start to become more caring and warmhearted. Both genders create more accidents. Both genders tend to feel more guilty, are unsecure and nervous. But why should Toxoplasmosa manipulate a humans brain? We are no food scource for cats. Scientists say we aren´t today but there were times we were a food scource for big cats. That Toxoplasmosis slows down the reaction of its hosts is also noticed by humans (see more car accidents). All in all that parasite and maybe others could play a very strong role in human history.

http://www.zeit.de/zeit-wissen/2009/02/Toxoplasmose

 

[wantokeeptrout]

meh, cordiceps fungus is more like a zombie parasite in my opinion, completely overrides the brain's control of the nervous system, Thank god it's limited to insects.

 

[DariusAmurdarja]

i think you don't see what impact that parasite has. Do we think for our own or does a parasite decide for us? Is religion the idea of a prophet or had the prophet just a cat with toxoplasmosis?

 

[Rome]

Toxoplasmosis has been around and treated for decades. Nothing simple medication can't treat. As long as you don't eat food with cat feces on it you won't get it...and even if you do, us healthy individuals still probably wont. It won't change history.


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[DariusAmurdarja]

it is undetected in 99% of cases and if so, it already had an enormous input in human history. It is a very interesting field and could be useful.

 

[Rome]

it is undetected in 99% of cases and if so, it already had an enormous input in human history. It is a very interesting field and could be useful.

It is not diagnosed because it is asymptomatic. You are colonized by thousands of different organisms right now, all the time. A major proponent of the sweat from your skin is the promotion of staphylococcus epidermidis and s. aureus. Major human history- small pox, yersina pestis, influenza.

You want to look at something cool, research the yersina pestis genetic mutation and it's effects with the HIV virus.


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[DariusAmurdarja]

you can't start crowd control as biological warfare with yersinia. Toxoplasmosis offers a whole new field. Problem is, that we know that infected persons change their personality but we don't know how. To learn that we must infect testpersons and that is unethical.

 

[Mount_Prion]

it is undetected in 99% of cases and if so, it already had an enormous input in human history. It is a very interesting field and could be useful.

The real historical game-changer disease was syphilis. So many great ideas came from this microbe eating peoples' brains over the course of history...

 

[Rome]

you can't start crowd control as biological warfare with yersinia. Toxoplasmosis offers a whole new field. Problem is, that we know that infected persons change their personality but we don't know how. To learn that we must infect testpersons and that is unethical.

Yersina pestis is the BLACK PLAGUE. The single disease that killed 100 million people and reduced the worlds population by 20%, killed over half of Europeans in 2 years.

What the hell is crowd control warfare? What are u going to weaponize it with - cat poop sandwiches? You make no sense and need some education in microbiology.


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[Rome]

Double post*