CiforDayZServer t1_jdzwp7n wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:39 PM

Reply to comment by forwardinthelight in Bird rehab center calls for ban on rodent poisons after bald eagle, red-tailed hawk sickened in Connecticut by jaydecay123

Toxoplasmosis is generally produced by cats in order to infect the mice which makes them less fearful of cat urine smell and of cats in general.

Unless I missed some big revelation that it’s reversed?

forwardinthelight t1_je06zvf wrote on March 28, 2023 at 1:59 PM

Sorta - cats are the principal host for T. gondii as it can only reproduce inside of cats. The altered behavior of mice is one of the ways cats can become infected (by eating the mice with tissue T. gondii cysts). Once infected, cats excrete T. gondii oocysts in their feces that can go on to infect other animals or people. Thats why pregnant people are told to not clean their cat's litterbox due to the risk of coming into contact with oocysts - fetal toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects and spontaneous abortions IIRC.