For those who don't know, there's a parasite out there that, essentially, can turn rats into zombies. Felines carry it in their poop, and in humans it can lead to all kinds of symptoms like blurred vision and brain damage. It's called Toxoplasma gondii, and thanks to "Scientifically Accurate ThunderCats" we can now all freak out about it together.
Starting out with some relatively funny scientific factoids like references to their "spiky penises," fear of thunder (ironic!), and stupidity compared to dogs, the video – the latest in the "Scientifically Accurate" series from Fox's Animation Domination High-Def (ADHD) starts out all funny and furry – then it drops the T. gondii bomb.
"In cat poop is a microbe; Toxo gondii is its name," the song goes. "From schizophrenia to suicide – it makes people go insane. Cats are a coprophagic species; this means that cats will eat their own feces!"
Ok, that sounds scary and gross. But what does it mean? What does poop have to do with Toxoplasma gondii and insanity? Well, that's the even weirder part that's left out of this – albeit great – song. You see, for some unknown reason Toxoplasma needs cats to sexually reproduce. Since it's a parasite and can't, you know, walk, it needs hosts – like rats – to take it from one cat to the next. But since rats are generally afraid of cats, this shouldn't really work. Except, as Stanford University's Patrick House noted recently, "If rats have Toxoplasma in their brains, they are no longer as afraid of cat odors and, in some cases, they are actually attracted to cat odors." (FYI, it does this by triggering the part of the rat's brain that typically handles sexual attraction.) This puts the rats more at risk of getting eaten, and thus giving Toxoplasma its conduit to the next feline. It's essentially mind control by parasite.
"If you believe in rat free will, and you believe that a hijacking of that free will qualifies as ‘zombism,’ then you don’t need George Romero to make this stuff up for you," House told Stanford's Scope blog a while back. "There are scurrying rat zombies in just about every city block."
Toxoplasma can also get into humans, which is why everyone should avoid eating cat feces (as well as contaminated raw meat or contaminated soil), however the dangers are far less intense. Some 60 million people in the U.S. – nearly a fifth of the population – may be infected with the Toxoplasma parasite. But before that statistic causes panic, be advised: A healthy person's immune system can ward off the effects of T. gondii. And this is where "Scientific Accurate ThunderCats" gets a little more alarmist than it needs to be.
While toxoplasmosis may be linked to schizophrenia – and, according to House, schizophrenics are more likely to be infected with the parasite – it's not incredibly likely your cat will make you insane. It can, however, cause flu-like symptoms, reduced or blurred vision, and eye or brain damage, according to the CDC.
That said, it's really hard to watch this video and not start fearing felines – and half-cat/half-human people – just a little bit. But hey, at least they cut the verse about feline AIDS.
