5 ms·

I'd read this with some interest, but if this citation in the introduction is correct then it's not a small deal. "Toxoplasma gondii, the parasitic protozoon o

by kurthr 4y ago

I'd read this with some interest, but if this citation in the introduction is correct then it's not a small deal. "Toxoplasma gondii, the parasitic protozoon of cats, infects about one-third of the human population in both developed and developing countries (Tenter et al., 2000)."

bena 4y ago
It's the entire reason people want to study Toxoplasmosis. If it affects anything, that's going to mean a lot of people.
sp332 4y ago
CDC puts it at over 40 million in the USA, so over 10%. https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/index.html Edit: here's that paper from Tenter et al. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/#__ffn_sectitle https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/#__ffn_... As a consequence, no two tests produce the same results in all cases, even when carried out in the same laboratory [45–54]. In addition, prevalence rates vary over time and with the age of the individuals included in the study [55–68]. The strongest thing they were willing to say is that it's higher in Latin America and west Africa, and lower in colder climates. Here's a direct link to Table 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/table/T3/?report=objectonly https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/table/T...
chabons 4y ago
I'm wondering if they controlled for cat ownership (as a likely source of infection), or if any of the variation can be attributed to the types of people who own cats.
- thinkingemote 4y ago
  ive heard that many get it from eating or working with contaminated food
marcellus23 4y ago
A couple important notes about toxoplasmosis (someone please correct me if I'm wrong, this is gleaned from Wikipedia and the CDC website): - Cats only get toxoplasmosis from prey, and it only sticks around in the cat for a few weeks, so if you have an indoor-only cat that never goes outside and you don't have any pests, you're probably fine - Even if your cat does go outside, the parasite doesn't become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat’s feces, so if you're cleaning the litter box daily, you're probably fine as well
- ali7388 4y ago
  Where I live, streets are littered with stray cats and their feces. Every owner says they are "responsible" but numbers speak otherwise!
- mardifoufs 4y ago
  Wait, so if it sticks around in the cat for just a few weeks, is that also true for humans? Or is it permanent for us, and cats are just better at getting rid of it?
  - marcellus23 4y ago
    I'm not sure. That's based on this excerpt from Wikipedia[0]: > Cats excrete the pathogen in their feces for a number of weeks after contracting the disease, generally by eating an infected intermediate host that could include mammals (like rodents) or birds. Oocyst shedding usually starts from the third day after ingestion of infected intermediate hosts, and may continue for weeks. The oocysts are not infective when excreted. After about a day, the oocyst undergoes a process called sporulation and becomes potentially pathogenic. I guess I was not quite correct -- it may be that it sticks around longer in the cat, but it is only excreted for a few weeks. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis#Transmission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis#Transmission

by kurthr 4y ago

bena 4y ago

It's the entire reason people want to study Toxoplasmosis. If it affects anything, that's going to mean a lot of people.

sp332 4y ago

CDC puts it at over 40 million in the USA, so over 10%. https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/index.html Edit: here's that paper from Tenter et al. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/#__ffn_sectitle https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/#__ffn_... As a consequence, no two tests produce the same results in all cases, even when carried out in the same laboratory [45–54]. In addition, prevalence rates vary over time and with the age of the individuals included in the study [55–68]. The strongest thing they were willing to say is that it's higher in Latin America and west Africa, and lower in colder climates. Here's a direct link to Table 3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/table/T3/?report=objectonly https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3109627/table/T...

chabons 4y ago

I'm wondering if they controlled for cat ownership (as a likely source of infection), or if any of the variation can be attributed to the types of people who own cats.

thinkingemote 4y ago
ive heard that many get it from eating or working with contaminated food

marcellus23 4y ago

A couple important notes about toxoplasmosis (someone please correct me if I'm wrong, this is gleaned from Wikipedia and the CDC website): - Cats only get toxoplasmosis from prey, and it only sticks around in the cat for a few weeks, so if you have an indoor-only cat that never goes outside and you don't have any pests, you're probably fine - Even if your cat does go outside, the parasite doesn't become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat’s feces, so if you're cleaning the litter box daily, you're probably fine as well

ali7388 4y ago
Where I live, streets are littered with stray cats and their feces. Every owner says they are "responsible" but numbers speak otherwise!
mardifoufs 4y ago
Wait, so if it sticks around in the cat for just a few weeks, is that also true for humans? Or is it permanent for us, and cats are just better at getting rid of it?
- marcellus23 4y ago
  I'm not sure. That's based on this excerpt from Wikipedia[0]: > Cats excrete the pathogen in their feces for a number of weeks after contracting the disease, generally by eating an infected intermediate host that could include mammals (like rodents) or birds. Oocyst shedding usually starts from the third day after ingestion of infected intermediate hosts, and may continue for weeks. The oocysts are not infective when excreted. After about a day, the oocyst undergoes a process called sporulation and becomes potentially pathogenic. I guess I was not quite correct -- it may be that it sticks around longer in the cat, but it is only excreted for a few weeks. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis#Transmission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis#Transmission