Tagged: Toxoplasma gondii

Monday Micro – from cat poo to kai moana! - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Sep 15, 2014 •

• dolphins,
• Hector's dolphins,
• IDReC,
• Massey,
• Toxoplasma gondii,
• toxoplasmosis

Last week I attended a symposium hosted by Massey University’s Infectious Diseases Research Centre (IDReC). There were many fascinating talks but one that caught my attention was by Dr Wendi Roe, a veterinary pathologist, about her work on Hector’s dolphins. Hector’s dolphins are an … Read More

Monday Micro – mind manipulating microbes revisited - Infectious Thoughts

Siouxsie Wiles • Sep 23, 2013 •

• aversion,
• brain,
• cat,
• mouse,
• parasite,
• Toxoplasma gondii,
• toxoplasmosis,
• Urine

One of my favourite microbes is Toxoplasma gondii, the little protozoa famous for making mice less afraid of cats. T. gondii also causes toxoplasmosis which can be serious, especially for those with a compromised immune system. It’s the reason women are excused from cleaning cat litter trays during pregnancy as infection can result … Read More