Comment on Anon gets /fit/
shreddy_scientist@lemmy.ml 6 months agoToxoplasmosis is very intriguing, it has actually evolved alongside cats and humans for ages. While anyone with an immunodeficiency is at higher risk of severe side effects, like with any pathogen, it’s also associated with taking bigger risk. This is why a ton of motorcyclists and casino regulars test positive for the parasite. But when we were hunter gatherers, the infection was associated with bringing home bigger kills, which helped the entire tribe. Due to this, toxoplasmosis infections had sizable benefits and those with the infection often had positions of power in tribes!
ryannathans@aussie.zone 6 months ago
That’s mad, got a source?
shreddy_scientist@lemmy.ml 6 months ago
Of course!
The origin of risk aversion www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4273387/
Increased risk of traffic accidents in subjects with latent toxoplasmosis - a retrospective case-control study www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC117239/
Risky business - linking Toxoplasma gondii infection and entrepreneurship behaviours across individuals and countries www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6083268/
ryannathans@aussie.zone 6 months ago
Fascinating, wonder how hard it is to cure
shreddy_scientist@lemmy.ml 6 months ago
It’s no picnic, parasites are burly! The Th2 adaptive immune response for worms, our only parasite response, is only good with small initial infections. But since the side effects are relatively mild considering all parasites, it’s not a big area of focus.
Fun fact: The same response for parasites causes allergies. You can never be allergic when it’s your first exposure either. But a less hygenic environment as a kid greatly redices the risk of developing allergies.