Study Shows People Infected With Toxoplasmosis Become More Attractive - Nation World News

Toxoplasma gondiiOne of the world's most common parasites can manipulate the phenotypic characteristics of its hosts to make them more attractive and improve their reproductive success, according to a bizarre peer-reviewed study.

Parasites are one of the most negative factors affecting our health, but if they degrade a host's health to such an extent that it becomes impossible for it to find a mate, parasites can also reduce the chances of reproduction. Gives and moves on to the next. generation.

Although there was evidence that T. Gondi manipulates the phenotypic characteristics of its hosts to increase their spread, a new study led by Javier Borraz-Leon from the University of Turku, and Posted in PeerJAffecting half the world's population, this parasite is the first to investigate whether humans can make it more attractive to increase their success.

35 people infected T. Gondi Their self-perceived attractiveness, body mass index, their facial symmetry, and number of sexual partners, as well as their perceived attractiveness and health by 205 independent raters, were compared with 178 uninformed people who did not know that they Who were infected?

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The study found that men are infected with T. Gondi There were more symmetrical faces, and women had a lower body mass index, as well as higher self-perceived attractiveness and more sexual partners than the uninformed. Furthermore, both infected women and men were rated by independent assessors as more attractive than uninfected people.

Although this may be a byproduct of the infection and may not be the result of the parasite's manipulation to increase its spread to new hosts, the study results suggest that sexually transmitted parasites such as T. Gondi Humans can produce changes in the appearance and behavior of the host.

It was found in previous studies that T. GondiCommon in domestic cats, manages to modify the behavior of rats to make them more carelessAnd therefore more likely to end up in cat's paw.

With regard to sexual attraction, it was also observed a 2011 study what T. Gondi the product some changes in Testosterone Levels of Male Ratswho becomes Sexually more attractive and preferred as a sexual partner by uninfected women.

it is normal that T. Gondi They are passed on to humans through cat feces. In humans, this protozoan can live in the brain and lie dormant for years. Toxoplasmosis is associated with migraine, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women, as it can cause serious changes in the brain of the fetus.

Infection can be treated, but T. Gondi It is a particularly resistant parasite and is difficult to eliminate completely from the body. Of course, in many cases you don't develop traits (except, perhaps, to become more attractive).