I’ve been trying to think of an excuse to post funny kitten videos (above, "kitten surprise"! Wait for it...).
But I couldn’t justify releasing my inner-crazy cat lady, willy-nilly. Thank
God for the news, and Australians: “Parasite
‘turns women into sex kittens’.”
Want to know what it does
to men?
(As well as: video of kittens on a treadmill, and their sadistic, brilliant
owners.)
About 40 per cent of the world's population is infected with
Toxoplasma gondii, including about eight million Australians.
Human infection generally occurs when people eat raw or
undercooked meat that has cysts containing the parasite, or accidentally ingest
some of the parasite's eggs excreted by an infected cat.
The parasite is known to be dangerous to pregnant women as
it can cause disability or abortion of the unborn child, and can also kill
people whose immune systems are weakened.
Until recently it was thought to be an insignificant disease
in healthy people, Sydney University of Technology infectious disease researcher Nicky Boulter said, but new
research has revealed its mind-altering properties.
"Interestingly, the effect of infection is different
between men and women,'' Dr Boulter writes in the latest issue of Australasian Science magazine.
"Infected men have lower IQs, achieve a lower level of
education and have shorter attention spans. They are also more likely to break
rules and take risks, be more independent, more anti-social, suspicious,
jealous and morose, and are deemed less attractive to women.
"On the other hand, infected women tend to be more
outgoing, friendly, more promiscuous, and are considered more attractive to men
compared with non-infected controls.
"In short, it can make men behave like alley cats and
women behave like sex kittens''.
[news.com.au]
Watch their tails. Big,
freaked out cat tails. Love it.
