This is topic Parasites That Change Their Host's Behavior in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
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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Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
 
Read David Brin's The Giving Plague.
 

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
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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Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
 
Wow! He's done a lot of work on that site since I last visited. Thanks!
 

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Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
 
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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Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
Try Parasite Rex for more tales of biochemical behaviour modification.

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

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Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
 
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.
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 

quote:

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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.

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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.

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

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Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
 
OK, it was a weak attempt at humor.
 

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Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
 
It was funny!
 

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Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
 
I know that ever since I had kids I can never find my car keys...
 

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Posted by Ethics Gradient (Member # 878) on :
 
I wonder if we've ever changed OSC's behaviour...
 

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Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :
 
This just explains a whole hell of a lot.
 

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
The Rabbit. Weak? That was great!

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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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
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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Posted by eslaine (Member # 5433) on :
 
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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Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
 

quote:

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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."

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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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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
::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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Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
 
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...
 

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
Sure quid, glad to help.

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

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Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
 
Sounds good. Thanks for the tip.
 

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Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
 
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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Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
 
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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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
*high-fives Carrie*
 

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Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
 
Video games taught me about this. Resident Evil 4's main plot involves parasites that change their host's behavior.
 

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Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
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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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
Sweet thread. Thumbs up.
 

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Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
 
Yeah, I love this thread. It's suuuuper creepy, though, don't you think?
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
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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Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
Preliminary findings suggest that Toxoplasma gondi skews sex ratios in humans.
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
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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Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
 
Hey, thanks for bumping the thread. It's ubercool. And I need to read through this stuff again. NaNoWriMo inspiration, don't'cha know?
 

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Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
 
What this thread needs is a mother-in-law joke....
 

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
Fascinating link, aspectre; thanks!
 

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Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
Have you all been watching House?
 

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Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
 
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa%27uld]*resists making dobie*[/url]
 

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Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
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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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
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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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by Noemon:
... not one of the ones I'll be lying awake thinking about.

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You are a delight to know, Noemon.
 

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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 
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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Posted by Phanto (Member # 5897) on :
 
*dispatches evil viral goons*

Were a pleasure to know, Noemon. Were.

^^;;
 

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Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
 
The infamous Pronged Ants of Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder
 

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Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
"...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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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
Sent you an email, Noemon. [to the address in your HR profile here]

(Die, Phanto, die! *shakes fist)
 

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Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
 
So what'd ya roll after shaking those die?
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
::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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Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
 

quote:

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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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quote:

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

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quote:

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Originally posted by aspectre:
Now there's a fungus that zombifies ants into vehicles driven from forest canopies down to the to "the undersides [of] leaves sprouting from the northwest side of plants that grow on the forest floor". Then upon arrival, the ant is converted into a nest.

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