4 ms·
> In fact, if your host lives for as long as possible without suffering any negative effects from your freeloading, is preferred by mates and most loved by peer
by throwaway81523 4y ago
> In fact, if your host lives for as long as possible without suffering any negative effects from your freeloading, is preferred by mates and most loved by peers, etc., that's when you spread the furthest.
Ah, you mean toxoplasma gondii. Heh.
- throwaway290 4y agoSure, that's one example:) Wouldn't say it is trying especially hard to make its host survive the longest (motorcycle accident anecdata and such) but it surely isn't killing it too fast. Worth noting, seeing as it evolved to survive by cats and rodents, it is probably accidentally well-adjusted to humans (luckily we are not super different from rodents I guess). If it was as infectious as flu and had similarly mild effects it has now I'm sure most would be having it. I wonder if some of the "worse" diseases are similarly mild to their animal hosts (birds and such), and us humans are just not as lucky to be similar enough in relevant aspects as with rodents and toxoplasma.
- throwaway81523 4y agoIt changes both your appearance and behaviour to literally make you more attractive, but at the same time less fit depending on what you count. Also, it may be connected with schizophrenia.
- throwaway290 4y agoNot to make me attractive. To make rodent get eaten by a cat. Supposed attractiveness of humans with latent toxoplasmosis is an accidental side-effect, since it does not transmit between humans it is entirely pointless.