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longesteveryeahboy t1_iye3ral wrote

Reply to comment by Rulare in 'Mind control' by parasites influences wolf-pack dynamics in Yellowstone National Park | CNN by irkli

So I study toxo, basically there are two forms of the parasite, one that actively replicates and infects new cells and another that holes up in a bubble inside your cells and basically does nothing. There are drugs to kill the active form, but once any of the parasites shifts into its passive form it’s basically untouchable by your immune system or by medication. And by the time most people realize they’re infected (if they do at all) you would be well past this point.

The passive form will reactivate from time to time, if you’re healthy your immune system shuts it down very easily, but there are always other cysts containing passive parasite, so you never get rid of it. If you’re not healthy you can keep it in check with medicine. So absolutely treatable, but generally not curable.

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kciuq1 t1_iye757l wrote

Man, that is a really fascinating parasite that has a lot of ways to survive.

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longesteveryeahboy t1_iye8rqp wrote

It’s really cool! They can also infected any nucleated cell in your body and can infect any warm blooded animal. They are pretty incredible

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Rulare t1_iyfcsy6 wrote

Thanks for the informative response! I've been around way too many kittens in my life so I assume I have it, so it being completely curable was a nice lie to tell myself. Oh well.

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snarlindog t1_iyejuqw wrote

How hard is it to get a toxo test these days?

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longesteveryeahboy t1_iyeqfwb wrote

Not super involved in the clinical side, but I think if you are at risk, so immunocompromised or pregnant, it’s pretty easy? Not sure if you’re not part of that group tbh

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TKG_Actual t1_iye82nm wrote

....and if you are not healthy? What do you suddenly get a case of Oryctocantropy and start ravaging every head of lettuce in the county?

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longesteveryeahboy t1_iye9nd1 wrote

Lol not sure what oryctocantropy is, but the parasite can essentially infect any part of your body so an immunocompromised person who is untreated would develop a typical infection for whatever part of the body the parasite is in, so like pneumonia or meningitis. And this can worsen or involve other organs until it eventually becomes fatal.

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TKG_Actual t1_iyek4oc wrote

Oh that's a cheap werewolf joke I replaced the Greek word lycan/Lycos with the Latin for rabbit. But yeah I recall a mention that it makes you more prone to taking risks.

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longesteveryeahboy t1_iyeq45d wrote

Oh haha sorry for the unnecessary explanation then

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TKG_Actual t1_iyerasx wrote

It's ok, I don't know much about toxoplasmosis beyond some basics honestly. Like that rodent-feline connection for instance.

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lazyherpatile t1_iyel0u6 wrote

Jokes you have to explain are always funny.

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TKG_Actual t1_iyemd7h wrote

Is that why I don't need to explain you?

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lazyherpatile t1_iyex4lh wrote

Hahahaha omg sorry I didn’t realize you were 12

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TKG_Actual t1_iyf0h1l wrote

Aw, that's a pathetic comeback; but I'm certain you are used to being referred to in that way, it is after all the one consistent aspect of your entire life.

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lazyherpatile t1_iyf141x wrote

I love that you basically just explained your first comeback the same way you had to explain your joke hahahaha

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TKG_Actual t1_iyf2hqk wrote

Oh, so you are functionally illiterate too? Good to know.

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RandomChurn t1_iyex3d2 wrote

> an immunocompromised person who is untreated would develop a typical infection for whatever part of the body the parasite is in, so like pneumonia or meningitis. And this can worsen or involve other organs until it eventually becomes fatal.

It's in Trainspotting. It's what killed the friend who got AIDS. He got a kitten to try to get his gf back but she refused it and the kitten killed him

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