Toxoplasma gondi, a common parasite, can turn women into 'sex kittens' and make men more stupid says Nicky Boulter, a researcher at Sydney University. About 40% of the world's population is infected with this parasite including 8 million Australians.
Humans are infected when they eat raw or undercooked meat that has cysts containing the parasite or accidentally ingest some of the parasite's eggs excreted by an infected cat. It was thought that the infection was not serious until now.
In the latest issue of Australasian Science Dr Boulter writes about her findings and in particular the way the infection affects men and women differently. "It can make men behave like alley cats and women behave like sex kittens" stated Dr Boulter.
