Parasite tied to self-harm, suicide attempts

[TerryK]

Parasite tied to self-harm, suicide attempts


By Genevra Pittman
NEW YORK | Fri Jul 6, 2012 3:35pm EDT


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women who are infected with a common parasite may be more likely to hurt themselves or attempt suicide, a new study of over 45,000 new moms in Denmark suggests.

The infection, known as toxoplasmosis, is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Humans can become chronically infected by eating undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables or by handling cat litter, as the parasite is known to multiply in the gut of infected cats.

Toxoplasmosis is often symptom-free, but can be dangerous in people with weak immune systems or during pregnancy, since the parasite may be passed to babies.

Some studies have linked the parasite to a higher chance of developing schizophrenia, and researchers believe because the T. gondii parasite lives in the brain, it could have an effect on emotions and behavior.

For the new report, Dr. Teodor Postolache from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore and his colleagues used Danish medical registries to track 45,788 women who were originally included in a study that screened newborn babies for toxoplasmosis.

All of the infants were tested for antibodies against the parasite through a blood sample drawn five to 10 days after birth. Because the babies were still too young to make their own antibodies, any that showed up in their blood would have been passed from moms.

Just over one-quarter of the babies were positive for T. gondii antibodies, meaning their mothers likely had a chronic, underlying toxoplasmosis infection.

And over the next 11 to 14 years, infected women were about 50 percent more likely to cut, burn or otherwise hurt themselves, according to their medical records, and 80 percent more likely to attempt suicide.

In total, 488 women hurt themselves for the first time during the study - or eight out of every 10,000 annually - and 78 tried to kill themselves.

"That's not a very high risk, when you come down to it," said Dr. Louis Weiss, who studies toxoplasmosis at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

Still, he told Reuters Health the findings are "really quite interesting." Part of the study's strength, he added, comes from its size and how long it followed the Danish women.

"There probably is an effect of this parasite on human behavior, which has been suspected," based on studies of animals infected with toxoplasmosis, said Weiss, who wasn't involved in the new research.

CAUSES NOT CLEAR

Eighteen women in the study committed suicide, which was too small a number for the researchers to determine whether T. gondii put some women at higher risk, according to their findings published this week in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Postolache and his colleagues note that some instances of self-harm might not have shown up in their records if women weren't seen at a mental health clinic after the incident.

Based on the study, they also can't say for sure whether toxoplasmosis infection caused women to hurt themselves or attempt suicide. It could be, for example, that women with underlying mental problems were more likely to pick up the parasite because they cooked their meat or washed their vegetables improperly.

But it's reasonable, Postolache added, that the parasite could directly affect the brain, such as by making cells produce more or less of certain neurotransmitters that control mood and behavior.

"It's (also) possible that the immune system containing Toxoplasma gondii does it at the cost of affecting brain function," he told Reuters Health.

Underlying infection could trigger inflammation, Weiss explained, which might subtly alter brain chemistry.

Postolache said more studies will be needed to further understand the link between toxoplasmosis and suicidal tendencies, including whether certain people with the infection are more prone to mood and behavior issues than others - because of the genetic factors, for example.

Both researchers emphasized that pregnant women should not avoid or get rid of their housecats based on the findings. Most of the parasites that cause infection, Weiss said, are passed by feral cats and end up in the environment.

"This is not a reason to be fearful of pussy cats," he said.

SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry, online July 2, 2012.

[ainitfunny]

This parasite has been found in a high proportion of people who engage in risky behavior, high proportion of motorcyclists involved in accidents, causes women to engage in risky behavior or promiscuity, daredevils, people who scoff at danger actually may have the self preservation part of the brain infected with worm cysts and altered.

http://www.cyclelicio.us/2010/toxopl...isky-behavior/

That is NECESSARY for the parasitic worm in order to live it's life cycle to get the mouse or rat it infects to be eaten by a cat, so it alters the rat brain to disregard danger and be attracted to the danger of cats rather than avoid them like normal healthy rodents do.

[TerryK]

Most people don't associate a physical illness with mental changes.
We tend to want to keep both worlds seperate from each other.

The physical can affect the mental and the mental can affect the physical.

[Caver78]

So how do you get rid of it?
Which kind of wormer would a person use?

[almost ready]

Fungus of the cordyceps type do this to insects. There are at least a couple hundred different varieties which are insect-species specific.

The reaction of the intelligent insects to one who has been altered by cordyceps is to remove the infected insect and take him far away from the den/nest of the rest. This has caused some of us to reconsider why people were buried so deeply in the soil or else burned in funeral pyres.

If you have time and interest, this is a subject so amazing you'll never see life on earth the same way again :-D

[Tundra Gypsy]

I'm sure the pharmecutial companies will come up with a pill or 'vaccine' for the cure all.....

[ainitfunny]

So how do you get rid of it?
Which kind of wormer would a person use?

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedic.../toxoplasmosis

There are no drugs that can eliminate T. gondii cysts in animal or human tissues. Humans can reduce their risks of developing toxoplasmosis by practicing the following:

freezing (to 10.4°F/−12°C) and cooking foods to an internal temperature of 152°F/67°C will kill the cyst
practicing sanitary kitchen techniques, such as washing utensils and cutting boards that come into contact with raw meat
keeping pregnant women and children away from household cats and cat litter
disposing of cat feces daily, because the oocysts do not become infective until after 24 hours
helping cats to remain free of infection by feeding them dry, canned, or boiled food and by discouraging hunting and scavenging
washing hands after outdoor activities involving soil contact and wearing gloves when gardening
The distinction is made between acquired toxoplasmosis, in which an individual becomes infected, and neonatal congenital toxoplasmosis, in which a fetus is born with the infection because the mother became infected during pregnancy. If a fetus becomes infected early in pregnancy, the disease can cause the fetus to spontaneously abort, be stillborn. If full-term, the infant may die in infancy or suffer from central nervous system lesions. If the mother becomes infected in the last three months of pregnancy, however, the prognosis is good and the baby may not even display any symptoms.
In adults, if the infection continues for an extended period of time, chronic toxoplasmosis can cause an inflammation of the eyes called retinochoroiditis, which can lead to blindness, severe yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), easy bruising, and convulsions.

Most human infections are asymptomatic; when symptoms occur, they range from a mild, self-limited disease resembling mononucleosis to a disseminated, fulminating disease that may damage the brain, eyes, muscles, liver, and lungs. Severe manifestations are seen principally in immunocompromised patients and in fetuses infected transplacentally as a result of maternal infection.

[Kronos]

I would not be so certain that there is no way to rid oneself of these,
just that big pharma has nothing to market for it (and is unlikely to take an interest).

Here is a vid on the topic, originally from Animal Planet vid is ok tho ~

TEXT:
This is a great video that was originally aired on the Animal Planet.
In it, they explain how one specific parasite found in cats can be potentially dangerous to humans, as well as many other animals.

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasites in cats and is the specific parasite that is referred to in this video.



The "ridding oneself" of these presents 2 extreme difficulties in my perspective:
1-cysts, and 2-location(brain - don't actially want an immune battle in there).

Best might be to find something which encysts the cysts; yanno, keeps them inactive?

[Melodi]

I have problems with this story on so many levels; the first one being with the study itself - it is possible that they took previous mental states into account because the study was large (and this is a newspaper write up) but my first thought on reading is a few days ago was:

"Yes, and how many women who area already lonely or have issues may also have cats for companions, especially if they are unmarried or otherwise unhappy?"

Of course plenty of us happily married gals have cats too, but the point is that it is not uncommon for depressed people (or lonely people of either gender) to have pets. Especially if they either never had children or they have grown up and moved away.

Second, this has been known for ages, the study that confirms it may be new; but the information has been out there for a least a decade.

The real issues are:
Cats are not the only way people get infected but they are why pregnant women should never change cat pans; in a dire emergency they should change a cat pan wearing a mask and gloves.

A huge minority (if not he majority) of people carry this around in their system for life, most people do not commit suicide and most people never become ill either.

There may be a slightly elevated risk of suicide among people who have the parasite, but they may have other risk factors as well.

Most people who do become ill with the disease are immune system compromised - this first came to public attention (outside of the medical field) when HIV/AID's patents started getting the cysts, brain tumors and other side effects that can result in dementia or death. It can also happen sometimes to people whose immune systems are severely compromised in other ways.

The best treatment is not to get rid of your cat (because even if you do, there are half-a-dozen other ways to be exposed) it is to stay healthy.

Obviously, if you are caring for an immune suppressed person, it is important they not change cat pans if possible. One of the things that the old Pets are Wonderful charity for people with AID's in the Bay Area, used to do was have volunteers change cat pans so dying people could keep the companionship of their pets.

For most people, other than precautions for pregnant women, to do much else is over reacting.

[TerryK]

Melody, I'm guessing, Cat Lover huh?
The story says not to get rid of your cats

[Melodi]

Melody, I'm guessing, Cat Lover huh?
The story says not to get rid of your cats

Your right, that particular version doesn't, but the way the story has been played up; especially in the "tabloid press" (the stuff the least educated people are likely to read, though I read it sometimes to relax and have a laugh) sort of pushes that idea.

Also, PAST stories on the subject have suggested it, to the point where I have had people ask me (in my role as The Barn Cat Lady, another website I update from time to time) about the issue. People do worry about it, and there is a small risk from this (and other usually harmless germ) from cat pans, for pregnant women or those undergoing chemo etc.

Yep, at 16 cats (half of which are recent SPCA assisted rescues who will either be barn cats here or will be tamed and go on facebook for re-homing) you can say I'm a Cat Lover lol!

Again, I'm not upset at the science just the way this article (and past ones) have been sliced and diced by the press along with headlines about "kitty makes you want to kill yourself" type of headlines (I made that one up). There is nothing wrong with the science either, and hopefully someday they will have a way to prevent the transmission of this parasite that can cause damage to people, cats and frequently to sheep.