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Re:Toxo, the cysts in our brains from cats, can improve self... by lifeisstillgood on Saturday October 11, 2014 @05:07PM (#8443453)
>> Up to a third of the world's human population is estimated to carry a Toxoplasma infection [http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis]

That's almost inconceivable. The other studies around this bounce from 10-25% too. I assumed toxoplasmosis was rare - but that kinda scares me.

How do I get a test for me and the family?

Re:Toxo, the cysts in our brains from cats, can improve self... by Mouq on Sunday October 12, 2014 @01:36AM (#8444504)
Hmm... The wiki page says that about the antibodies, i.e., that many people have at some point been infected... but my understanding may be off
Re:Toxo, the cysts in our brains from cats, can improve self... by jonah on Saturday October 11, 2014 @05:52PM (#8443534)
Re:Toxo, the cysts in our brains from cats, can improve self... by colechristensen on Saturday October 11, 2014 @06:19PM (#8443581)
It shouldn't really. Your immune system evolved in an environment where it expected to be under constant barrage from foreign organisms, in the absence of those many modern people suffer from diseases of the immune system where it misbehaves because it doesn't have enough to do.

"Most infected cats will shed oocysts only once in their lifetimes, for a period of about one to two weeks."

Your question is best addressed to your physician. If you spend too much time reading about diseases, you'll spend all of your time needlessly worrying about them.

Re:Toxo, the cysts in our brains from cats, can improve self... by JabavuAdams on Sunday October 12, 2014 @11:53AM (#8445605)
Yeah, I look forward to perfect medical-introspection technology, but I don't think we're ready for what we'll find. I suspect we'll find that we're positively riddled with parasites, subclinical tumours, and all kinds of squick.