m. c. de marco: To invent new life and new civilizations...

Now on PlagueBlog: everything you never wanted to know about Toxoplasma gondii. Biology is stranger than fiction.

This is the cat-litter bug that causes miscarriages and birth defects. The cat-loving parasite that lures rats to their deaths and causes traffic accidents. The latest schizophrenia suspect and a possible cause of epilepsy, psychosis, and migraines.

1. gondii may be making society rigid and neurotic, men more masculine, stupider, or more surly, and women more promiscuous. And if you think things are bad in the northern hemisphere, you should see the Brazilian strains.

So the next time you open a can of cat food for a fickle feline friend, ask yourself, is this my idea, or T. gondii’s?