Mice 'can lose innate fear of cats'

[dipsydoodle]

Mice may permanently lose their innate fear of cats after they have been infected with a microscopic parasite, researchers say.

The single-celled Toxoplasma gondii parasite is already known to inhibit their hard-wired fear of cats.

But even after they were cleared of the infection, mice no longer reacted with fear to a bobcat's urine.

The team, writing in the journal Plos One, says the infection could cause a permanent change to their brains.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24142753

[cui bono]

1. They do that in my yard and they're gonna end up dead and in my hallway.

Ugh.

[longship]

2. I'm Mighty Mouse!!!! Err! meoooww! gulp!

So maybe not.

The parasite has to get itself in the gut of a cat to breed. So when it infects a rodent it takes over its brain and turns it into Mighty Mouse. Except the fact that the cat always wins the battle, and of course so does the parasite.

Don't get me started about Dicrocoelium dendriticum, the lancet liver fluke which takes over the brain of an ant so it can be eaten by a cow.

One of my favorites, Daniel Dennett opens his 2002 TED Talk with this example:

[d_r]

4. it is really amazing

the adaptation is one of the most remarkable to me.

[Downwinder]

3. Might be an explanation for chicken hawks.

http://www.parasitesinhumans.org/toxoplasma-gondii.html