How was Toxoplasma alter the Rat brain?

Parasites found in cat feces was found to alter the mice behavior permanently. Infection of Toxoplasma gondii parasite makes rats no longer afraid of the cat as their natural predators. This change is very beneficial cats and parasites, because cats can easily catch prey, and parasites can enter the cat digestive tract to reproduce and continue the infection cycle.

Researchers found that mice's lack 
of fear of cats persisted even when
inflammation markers or cysts could 
not be detected in mice. (Picture from:  
http://www.sciencedaily.com/)

In a report published in the PLoS ONE journal, on September 18, 2013, a team of researchers studied the behavior of mice after infection with Toxoplasma. Parasitic effects that seem to be permanent. Mice still not afraid of cats aroma, take a long time after the animal recovered from flu-like symptoms of toxoplasmosis, even when the rats had been free from infection the next few months.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, T. gondii parasite has infected 60 million Americans. But most people who are infected do not show toxoplasmosis infection symptoms. The parasite can cause spontaneous abortion in pregnant women and death for patients with impaired immunity.

In the study, Wendy Ingram of the University of California, Berkeley, tested the effects of three strains of Toxoplasma gondii by placing infected mice in a dark box contains a petri dish cat urine. The mouse will wander without fear, while the series rat will be cowering in the box corner.

"Even when the rat brain has been free of parasites, the long-term behavior change has occurred, even though we do not know the exact mechanism," said Ingram. She also said there is a possibility that the parasite could directly change the neurons involved in memory or learning, or trigger and destroy the smell center in the brain.

Although research specific to mice, Ingram said the research should be conducted to see the effect of the parasite in humans. "Mice that had infected look like normal mice. 's A very subtle effect," said Ingram. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | SCIENCEDAILY | ABCNEWS | ERWIN Z  | KORAN TEMPO 4354]

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