Toxoplasmosis.
That’s a big scary word. What it means is an infection with a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii or T. gondii. And many millions of us are infected. Especially if you are owned by a cat. For the most part such infections are harmless and cause no symptoms or known problems but at times it can cause a flu-like syndrome and rarely severe illness. Here is an article from the CDC on this interesting little critter.
What’s interesting about a T. Gandii infection, or exposure, is that it causes an immune response in humans that is similar to that found in cancer victims. It’s possible that exploiting that immunological reaction could be a useful approach to cancer treatment. Much research lies ahead but it is interesting.
Cygnia
July 29, 2014 at 7:50 pm
Sooo…cat poop could potentially improve my chances of not getting cancer — but further enslave me towards my feline masters… 😉
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D.P. Lyle, MD
July 30, 2014 at 7:53 am
Cats rule anyway. They always have.
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Tamara Thorne
July 30, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Cat poop. I knew there was reason I’m so healthy.
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Christy
August 24, 2014 at 5:08 pm
Interesting, but this still doesn’t make cleaning that box appealing… 😛 I was aware that flushing kitty poop down the toilet can lead to death for sea otters.
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