Toxoplasma gondii: The Most Successful Parasite That Ever Lived
Rosemary Drisdelle MLT, ART, BA | August 1, 2015 | 53min
Toxoplasma gondii lies dormant in a third of us, and in innumerable animals, including marine mammals. A parasite of cats, it exists virtually everywhere on earth. This parasite changes behavior in rodents and research suggests similar effects in humans. It’s been linked to murder, suicide, and mental illness. It can be deadly to people with HIV and to a human fetus. It cannot be eradicated. Predictably, it has played a role in many human dramas from WWII Czechoslovakia to the US Open Tennis Championship; wild, feral, and roaming cats ensure T. gondii’s continued presence in our lives and environment.