That many domestic cats carry the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is no news. Nor is the fact that 30-50% of the global population is infected with it, mainly as a result of contact with cat feces.
The news is that individuals with toxoplasmosis are a lot more likely to have episodes of uncontrollable rage. It was previously known that toxoplasmosis is associated with some psychological disturbances, like personality changes or cognitive impairments. In this new longitudinal study (that means a study that spanned more than a decade) published three days ago, Coccaro et al. (2016) tested 358 adults with or without psychiatric disorders for toxoplasmosis. They also submitted the subjects to a battery of psychological tests for anxiety, impulsivity, aggression, depression, and suicidal behavior.
The results showed that the all the subjects who were infected with T. gondii had higher scores on aggression, regardless of their mental status. Among the people with toxoplasmosis, the aggression scores were highest in the patients previously diagnosed with intermittent explosive disorder,
a little lower in patients with non-aggressive psychiatric disorders, and finally lower (but still significantly higher than non-infected people) in healthy people.
The authors are adamant in pointing out that this is a correlational study, therefore no causality direction can be inferred. So don’t kick out you felines just yet. However, as CDC points out, a little more care when changing the cat litter or a little more vigorous washing of the kitchen counters would not hurt anybody and may protect against T. gondii infection.
Reference: Coccaro EF, Lee R, Groer MW, Can A, Coussons-Read M, & Postolache TT (23 march 2016). Toxoplasma gondii Infection: Relationship With Aggression in Psychiatric Subjects. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 77(3): 334-341. doi: 10.4088/JCP.14m09621. Article Abstract | FREE Full Text | The Guardian cover
By Neuronicus, 26 March 2016
The Science Portal 