CATS CAN CAUSE SCHIZOPHRENIA!
How pets infect owners with incurable disease
ADANGEROUS infection carried by cats — which has already been shown to cause stillbirths in women — is now suspected of triggering the incurable mental illness schizophrenia, a chilling new study shows.
The study conducted by Denmark’s Copenhagen University Hospital found 25 percent of all blood donors carried traces of the microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is commonly passed to humans by contact with felines — or their litter boxes.
The researchers also tracked psychiatric problems and found those infected with the parasite had a 50 percent higher diagnosis rate of schizophrenia than those who didn’t carry the bug.
An estimated 60 million people in the U.S. carry Toxoplasma gondii — which can also be caught by eating undercooked meat or drinking contaminated water. The bug increases the risk of developing schizophrenia by a staggering 50 percent, say scientists.
“Schizophrenia is characterized by thoughts or experiences that seem out of touch with reality, disorganized speech or behavior, and decreased participation in daily activities. Difficulty with concentration and memory may also be present,” says an expert.
The mental disorder is not curable and usually requires
lifelong treatment with “a combination of medications, psychotherapy and coordinated specialty care services,” says the expert.
However, there is some good news for pet owners. Not everyone catches the mindaltering infection — which can also lead to toxoplasmosis, a disease with flu-like symptoms that normally is held at bay by the immune system. Most infections go away without medical treatment.
But those with weak immunity and pregnant women can come down with the disease that causes stillbirths and other serious complications.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns, “Toxoplasmosis can be caught from pet cats or their litter trays.”