• Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works
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    13 hours ago

    Is there any truth to the toxoplasmosis thing, or is it another “fact” the Internet collectively won’t stop repeating?

    • 🍉 Albert 🍉@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      yes, it’s harmless to most people, so much so that you might be infected without even knowing. it’s only dangerous to immunocompromised people, especially foetuses.

      the “change in human behaviour” is more iffy, we know it changes rats behaviours, but it’s hard to measure that in humans.

      check the wiki though

      • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
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        7 hours ago

        Ive been told that cats meows have evolved to sound enough like a fussing baby to trigger our maternal instincts.

        No idea how true it is, but it feels true.

        • 🍉 Albert 🍉@lemmy.world
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          5 hours ago

          that is just neoteny in general.

          most domestication involved selecting animals who stay in their childlike state, ie an adult dog is mentally a puppy.

          and there is the concept that we have done that to ourselves, natural selection chose less aggressive childlike humans because they make better societies.

    • ComfortableRaspberry@feddit.org
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      12 hours ago

      My sister in law was pregnant and scared she may get infected because she has a cat. So she talked to the vet and she replied in her typical uncouth way and said: just refrain from licking the cats ass, when she comes from the litterbox and you’re good!

      Where I live the typical recommendation is to skip cleaning the litterbox while you’re already immune compromised (sick, pregnant, …) and you don’t have any trouble.

      • altkey (he\him)@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        11 hours ago

        The Gardens of Eden are all yours, hoomans. I only ask you to

        just refrain from licking the cats ass

        I don’t think it’s that hard.

        5 minutes in

        PUT DOWN THE CAT ADAM, I ORDER YOU. Ah gosh, now they teamed up to spite me

      • lemming@sh.itjust.works
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        11 hours ago

        I heard from an expert that the usual infection comes from insufficiently washed home-grown vegetables contaminated by mouse droppings.

      • atro_city@fedia.io
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        8 hours ago

        Yes, because bacteria is transferred in one single way and that’s direct contact. Nowhere in the history of the planet has indirect infection happened. Shaking hands has been the cleanest form of greetings since day 1! Cats never sit down on items human introduce into their mouths or put food on. And all humans, without exception, wash their hands after handling cats and prior to consuming or preparing food.

        • ComfortableRaspberry@feddit.org
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          6 hours ago

          It’s a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. At least in Germany it’s assumed most infected people got it from insufficiently heated pork.

          • atro_city@fedia.io
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            8 minutes ago

            Read up on it

            Oral transmission may occur through:

            • Ingestion of raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork, lamb, or venison containing Toxoplasma cysts: Infection prevalence in countries where undercooked meat is traditionally eaten has been related to this transmission method. Tissue cysts may also be ingested during hand-to-mouth contact after handling undercooked meat, or from using knives, utensils, or cutting boards contaminated by raw meat.[47]
            • Ingestion of unwashed fruit or vegetables that have been in contact with contaminated soil containing infected cat feces.[48]
            • Ingestion of cat feces containing oocysts: This can occur through hand-to-mouth contact following gardening, cleaning a cat’s litter box, contact with children’s sandpits; the parasite can survive in the environment for months.[49]
            • Ingestion of untreated, unfiltered water through direct consumption or utilization of water for food preparation.[50]
            • Ingestion of unpasteurized milk and milk products, particularly goat’s milk.[51]
            • Ingestion of raw seafood.[52]

            As you can clearly read, one doesn’t require feline anilingus to acquire the parasite.