Linked to the parasite toxoplasma gondii.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: New research indicates owning a cat as a child could put you at risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder later on because of parasites found in feline feces.
Previous studies have linked the parasite toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) to the development of mental disorders, and two more recently published research papers have backed up the theory, according to the Toronto Sun.
A.L. Sutterland from the Department of Psychiatry at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam led a team that analyzed the findings of 50 published studies to confirm that T. gondii infection is associated with mental disorders. The research was published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, reported CBS News.
In another recent study, Dr. Robert H. Yolken of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine confirmed the results of a 1982 survey that determined half of people who had a cat as a child were diagnosed with mental illnesses later in life as opposed to 42% of those who did not.
“Cat ownership in childhood has now been reported in three studies to be significantly more common in families in which the child is later diagnosed with schizophrenia or another serious mental illness,” the authors said in a press release. “In schizophrenia, the evidence of an association with T. gondii is overwhelming. These findings may give further clues about how T. gondii infection can possibly [alter] the risk of specific psychiatric disorders,” they continued.
The Washington Post assured readers that they do not need to run their cats out of their homes, instead, all you have to do is cover the litter box, keep your cat indoors, and keep pregnant women from changing the litter box.
1 Comment
So, how do you kill the mind bender?