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Author Topic: Parasites That Change Their Host's Behavior
Noemon
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Anyone remember a thread we had a few months ago that, for a time, evolved into a discussion of parasites that change the behavior of their hosts, generally in ways that increase the liklihood of the parasite's transmission to other hosts? I just came across a variety of links dealing with the subject, and thought I'd share them.

From PubMed:

Fatal attraction in rats infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

From The Guardian:

Suicidal rats hint at mindbending parasite

Here's a page that discusses a parasite that alters ant behavior.

From The Times Online:

Dangerrrr: cats could alter your personality What's up with the spelling of "Danger" there?

This last one is the first I've seen that discusses the possibility of human behavioral changes as a result of a parasite.

Here is a paper that the article draws on. Here is another.And another. And yet another. And finally, one more from the same researcher, this one on theDecrease of psychomotor performance in subjects with latent 'asymptomatic' toxoplasmosis.

Interesting stuff. I'd love to see more research done on all of this.

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eslaine
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Read David Brin's The Giving Plague.
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Noemon
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I have, actually; it was my first introduction to the idea of this kind of thing, and a damned good story. For those who haven't read it, The Giving Plague is available for free on his site.
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eslaine
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Wow! He's done a lot of work on that site since I last visited. Thanks!
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The Rabbit
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Does Ralphie have a cat? Do you suppose that she and Slash grew up with cats?

[ November 10, 2003, 04:06 PM: Message edited by: The Rabbit ]

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aspectre
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Try Parasite Rex for more tales of biochemical behaviour modification.

[ November 11, 2003, 02:34 AM: Message edited by: aspectre ]

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JonnyNotSoBravo
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I think Ralphie does indeed have a cat and even has pictures of "Fatty fatty fat fat" up at foobonic...but maybe you were being sarcastic, Rabbit. [Smile]
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katharina
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quote:
Infected men, suggests one new study, tend to become more aggressive, scruffy, antisocial and are less attractive. Women, on the other hand, appear to exhibit the “sex kitten” effect, becoming less trustworthy, more desirable, fun- loving and possibly more promiscuous.
Judging from the evidence?

I like the gruff, brutally honest thing, though. I like it in Leto, too. I disagree with the writer's characterization.

---

As to why the extra Rs: *sigh* I think the headline is supposed to be purring.

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The Rabbit
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OK, it was a weak attempt at humor.
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katharina
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It was funny! [Smile]
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pooka
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I know that ever since I had kids I can never find my car keys...
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Ethics Gradient
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I wonder if we've ever changed OSC's behaviour... [Big Grin]
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Olivet
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This just explains a whole hell of a lot. [Big Grin]
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Noemon
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[Laugh] The Rabbit. Weak? That was great!

[Laugh] Olivet. I've just always assumed that you were a little more in touch with your Bonobo side than most of us.

[ November 12, 2003, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: Noemon ]

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Noemon
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Yeah Erik, I was startled by all of the changes to the site too! I'm glad you mentioned the story or I wouldn't have surfed over to his site to link to it.
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eslaine
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I particularly liked his take on Blogging. "Just another tar baby" to keep from getting any real work done. Heh, heh.
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Ralphie
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quote:
Women, on the other hand, appear to exhibit the "sex kitten" effect, becoming less trustworthy, more desirable, fun-loving and possibly more promiscuous... "We found they were more easy-going, more warm-hearted, had more friends and cared more about how they looked."
Now I know why I unaccountably purchased this mask.

I was under some sort of parasitic compulsion.

Looks good, though, don't it! ROWR!!

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Noemon
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::bumped for quid and Fahim::

Man, I can't believe this thread is that old; I thought that I'd started it no more than a year ago. Weird.

I haven't read it, but Parasite Rex : Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures looks like an interesting read. I'll have to get a copy of it.

Here is a blog by the author of the above book. Looks like it has some great stuff; the post I linked to is more up to date (in terms of the possible link between toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia, for example) than the links I posted in 2003. Based on the strength of this particular entry, I think I'll have to spend some time exploring the rest of the blog.

[Edit--looks like aspectre beat me to the punch on Parasite Rext by...oh, about two and a half years.]

[Edit II--don't you hate it when you try to edit a post and instead you end up quoting it? I do that all the freaking time.]

[ March 19, 2006, 01:16 AM: Message edited by: Noemon ]

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quidscribis
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Cool, Noemon, and thanks! I don't remember this thread at all, but it was during my off-internet period, so no big surprise. Now I'm going to have to go looking through all the links... [Smile]
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Noemon
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[Smile] Sure quid, glad to help.

I'd start with the blog entry, myself. It provides a pretty good introduction.

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quidscribis
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Sounds good. Thanks for the tip. [Smile]
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Carrie
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My initial reaction: Check for glowing eyes and a snake in the head.

Then I realized it was serious and almost didn't post this.

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Evie3217
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This is all really interesting. I just wish that the links weren't so old. Then I could actually read some of the articles that people are quoting. They seem so thought-provoking.
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ketchupqueen
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*high-fives Carrie*
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Ryuko
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Video games taught me about this. Resident Evil 4's main plot involves parasites that change their host's behavior.
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aspectre
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Mosquito and human behaviour modified by malaria.
Spiders induced to weave hatching nests for parasitic wasp larvae
Bees being lured to "mate" with clusters of hundreds of parasitic blister beetle larvae.
Then there are the ants tricked into feeding Blue Alcone catepillar which may in turn attract a parasitic wasp capable of causing the ants to attack each other.

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ClaudiaTherese
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Sweet thread. Thumbs up.
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Tatiana
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Yeah, I love this thread. It's suuuuper creepy, though, don't you think?
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ClaudiaTherese
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It is, indeed. I'm always fascinated by self-interpretation of intention. There are things that can happen to humans that cause them to confabulate, or to work up reasons after the fact to make sense of what they had done. It's amazing -- makes me wonder how much of my intentionality is rationalization after fact, and about which I am unaware.
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aspectre
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Preliminary findings suggest that Toxoplasma gondi skews sex ratios in humans.
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Dagonee
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Rabies is a parasite with this well-known effect. It's transmitted via saliva, so making an animal more aggressive greatly increases the chance of infection. It's far less subtle than these other types of effects, but it seems consistent with the general idea.
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quidscribis
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Hey, thanks for bumping the thread. It's ubercool. [Cool] And I need to read through this stuff again. NaNoWriMo inspiration, don't'cha know? [Big Grin]
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Storm Saxon
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What this thread needs is a mother-in-law joke....
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Noemon
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Fascinating link, aspectre; thanks!
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ketchupqueen
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Have you all been watching House? [Wink]
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Miro
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[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa%27uld]*resists making dobie*[/url]
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aspectre
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Apparently whirling disease is becoming quite a problem for trout and salmon in the US.

[ February 16, 2007, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]

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Noemon
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Somehow that one seems less interesting than a lot of the other examples we've been talking about because the behavoir of the host is neutral for the parasite rather than beneficial (assuming I'm not missing something, of course). Still interesting, but not one of the ones I'll be lying awake thinking about.
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ClaudiaTherese
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quote:
Originally posted by Noemon:
... not one of the ones I'll be lying awake thinking about.

You are a delight to know, Noemon.
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Noemon
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[Smile] Thanks!

I've been wanting to email you for a while now, by the way, but I don't seem to have your address saved anywhere, and strangely enough I can't find any email from you. Even though I know I should have some. Very strange.

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Phanto
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*dispatches evil viral goons*

Were a pleasure to know, Noemon. Were.

^^;;

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Samprimary
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The infamous Pronged Ants of Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder
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aspectre
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"...seems less interesting than...other examples...because the behavior of the host is neutral for the parasite rather than beneficial..."

Well I'm assuming that the whirling behaviour attracts predatory birds as the disease creates easy prey.
"This causes the fish to swim erratically (whirl) and have difficulty feeding and avoiding predators."
Those birds in turn have their feathers heavily dosed with spores which are then flown to uninfected waterways.

[ February 16, 2007, 02:50 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]

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ClaudiaTherese
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Sent you an email, Noemon. [to the address in your HR profile here]

(Die, Phanto, die! [Mad] *shakes fist)

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aspectre
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So what'd ya roll after shaking those die?
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sndrake
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::Spoiler Alert!::

Well, the latest episode of House ultimately tied behavioral changes in a patient to a parasite.

To make a long story short, lots of behavioral changes involving guilt, anger and risk-taking are due to a vitamin b-12 deficiency caused by a 25 foot long tapeworm.

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Noemon
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quote:
Originally posted by aspectre:
"...seems less interesting than...other examples...because the behavior of the host is neutral for the parasite rather than beneficial..."

Ah, okay. That's much more interesting.
Well I'm assuming that the whirling behaviour attracts predatory birds as the disease creates easy prey.
"This causes the fish to swim erratically (whirl) and have difficulty feeding and avoiding predators."
Those birds in turn have their feathers heavily dosed with spores which are then flown to uninfected waterways.


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Noemon
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quote:
Originally posted by ClaudiaTherese:
Sent you an email, Noemon. [to the address in your HR profile here]

Got it! Or rather, I can see that it's arrived in my gmailbox. I won't be able to actually access my gmail until I get home tonight. In any case, thanks!
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aspectre
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"the latest episode of House ultimately tied...behavioral changes involving guilt, anger and risk-taking are due to a vitamin b-12 deficiency caused by a 25 foot long tapeworm."

Useta be that "the devil made me do it" followed by an exorcism was sufficient.
And now we gotta name the specific parasite.

[ February 16, 2007, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]

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Omega M.
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You mean like what Daniel Dennett says religious ideas are, with people as the hosts?
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