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[MaximumZero]

I know toxoplasmosis gondii does something similar to mice (and can infect humans).

Incidentally, don't click through that link if you don't like reading about diseases. It's not an especially bad one, but even the most benign ones occasionally go to crazyland and have terrible symptoms listed.

Only has symptoms in certain people.

And projections put between 1/3 and 1/2 of all people having it.

Stupid cats.

[Devling]

I know toxoplasmosis gondii does something similar to mice (and can infect humans).

Incidentally, don't click through that link if you don't like reading about diseases. It's not an especially bad one, but even the most benign ones occasionally go to crazyland and have terrible symptoms listed.

Only has symptoms in certain people.

And projections put between 1/3 and 1/2 of all people having it.

Stupid benevolent great overlord cats.

D:
Do not insult the overlords!

[DeKaFu]

I've worked in a cat shelter so I consider my chances of not being infected with toxoplasma are pretty slim.

The best bit of trivia about toxoplasmosis is that infection is associated with a higher risk of being in a car accident. The goal of the parasite is for its non-cat host to be eaten by a cat, so it can complete its life cycle in the cat. One of the ways it does this is by causing rodents to lose their fear of the smell of cats. The other way is by causing subtle changes in the behaviour of its hosts, namely an increase in risk-taking behaviour and loss of caution combined with a worsening of reaction time. In rodents, this makes them more likely to get eaten by a predator. In humans, what's the one activity where risky behaviour and bad reaction time is most likely to get you killed? Driving.

By the way, the cat poop generally only becomes contagious after it's been sitting around for a couple days, so cleaning the litter every day is a good way to avoid being infected. The fact that we did do that at the cat shelter makes me think there's hope, but eh...

[Mrnocamera]

Major headache, but fuck it, I have internet to do.

[Devling]

I've worked in a cat shelter so I consider my chances of not being infected with toxoplasma are pretty slim.

The best bit of trivia about toxoplasmosis is that infection is associated with a higher risk of being in a car accident. The goal of the parasite is for its non-cat host to be eaten by a cat, so it can complete its life cycle in the cat. One of the ways it does this is by causing rodents to lose their fear of the smell of cats. The other way is by causing subtle changes in the behaviour of its hosts, namely an increase in risk-taking behaviour and loss of caution combined with a worsening of reaction time. In rodents, this makes them more likely to get eaten by a predator. In humans, what's the one activity where risky behaviour and bad reaction time is most likely to get you killed? Driving.

By the way, the cat poop generally only becomes contagious after it's been sitting around for a couple days, so cleaning the litter every day is a good way to avoid being infected. The fact that we did do that at the cat shelter makes me think there's hope, but eh...

And, as I said, it only actaully affects a (comparatively) small number of humans, including immunosuppressed people.
So most people have little to worry about. Until it properly adapts to humans. Once it does that, you can scream.
Although, with the infection rates in humans, I van't help but feel that it may, at some point, become symbiotic with us.

In the future cat-diseases will be used to make humans soldiers fearless.

[Loud Whispers]

And obsessed with balls of yarn.

[Graknorke]

I've worked in a cat shelter so I consider my chances of not being infected with toxoplasma are pretty slim.

The best bit of trivia about toxoplasmosis is that infection is associated with a higher risk of being in a car accident. The goal of the parasite is for its non-cat host to be eaten by a cat, so it can complete its life cycle in the cat. One of the ways it does this is by causing rodents to lose their fear of the smell of cats. The other way is by causing subtle changes in the behaviour of its hosts, namely an increase in risk-taking behaviour and loss of caution combined with a worsening of reaction time. In rodents, this makes them more likely to get eaten by a predator. In humans, what's the one activity where risky behaviour and bad reaction time is most likely to get you killed? Driving.

By the way, the cat poop generally only becomes contagious after it's been sitting around for a couple days, so cleaning the litter every day is a good way to avoid being infected. The fact that we did do that at the cat shelter makes me think there's hope, but eh...

And, as I said, it only actaully affects a (comparatively) small number of humans, including immunosuppressed people.

So most people have little to worry about. Until it properly adapts to humans. Once it does that, you can scream.

Although, with the infection rates in humans, I van't help but feel that it may, at some point, become symbiotic with us.

Wikipedia disagrees with you. It says that there is a decent correlation between people who have the parasite and doing shit that gets you dead.

[Devling]

Isn't this how zombie movies start?
Disease that makes people want to spread it by any means necessary?

[Owlbread]

Iain Banks died today. Great writer, great mind, great supporter of independence. A great Scot, really. RIP.

[kaijyuu]

Isn't this how zombie movies start?
Disease that makes people want to spread it by any means necessary?

If so, this is gonna be a helluva awkward zombie film.

'HELP! HE'S GOT ME! Oh god! He's taking off my trousers! HELP!'

I'm surprised a porn film/whatever along these lines hasn't already been made.

[Lagslayer]

Isn't this how zombie movies start?
Disease that makes people want to spread it by any means necessary?

If so, this is gonna be a helluva awkward zombie film.

'HELP! HE'S GOT ME! Oh god! He's taking off my trousers! HELP!'

I'm surprised a porn film/whatever along these lines hasn't already been made.

I'm sure it has. I don't really have the initiative to look it up, though.

[Vector]

. . . Look up "sex pollen."  It's one of the most common fanfic tropes.

[MonkeyHead]

. . . Look up "sex pollen."  It's one of the most common fanfic tropes.

I dont think I want to. I am scared...

Though it would be worse if I had hayfever.

[Tellemurius]

. . . Look up "sex pollen."  It's one of the most common fanfic tropes.

And that just jogged a memory of sophmore biology class, the 100pt extra credit of videotaping yourself jumping around in a yellow dusty flower/tree field crying out "PLANT SPERM, PLANT SPERM"

[Devling]

. . . Look up "sex pollen."  It's one of the most common fanfic tropes.

This worries me to no end.