貓貓體內特殊寄生蟲或致腦癌
科學家警告“養貓咪”這種習慣有可能增加主人患上癌症的可能，他們將腦部腫瘤與寄生在貓腸胃中的寄生蟲聯繫起來，發現兩者竟然有着不爲人知的關係。
Brain cancer, in its various guises, claims more than 3,500 lives a year in the UK alone, and its causes are largely unknown. The parasite in the frame – Toxoplasma gondii – is carried by around a third of the world’s population deep inside their brains and has been linked to personality changes, in people as well as animals.
腦癌，有很多種表現形式，單單在英國被查出確切患上腦癌的患者每年就3500人，而因腦部腫瘤引發的案例更是無從計算。專家分析，有一種名爲“弓形蟲”與腦部腫瘤的發展有關係。弓形蟲病又稱弓漿蟲病或毒漿原蟲病,是一種世界性分佈的人獸共患寄生性原蟲病,病原爲龔地弓形蟲（Toxoplasma gondii）,是一種細胞內的專性寄生原蟲,在家畜和野生動物中廣泛存在,感染率高,危害嚴重。此外，它還是由肉孢子蟲科弓形蟲屬的龔地弓形蟲引起的一種人畜共患的原蟲病，其特點是蟲體寄生於中間宿主體內所有的有核細胞內。
The parasite, which infects up to 34 per cent of Britons, has a complicated lifecycle but can only breed inside cats, which then pass their microscopic eggs, spreading the infection. Pregnant women are already advised not to empty cat litter trays, as the parasite can be fatal to unborn babies, and now it seems the health risks may extend to other people.
據悉，這種寄生蟲（弓形蟲）十分普遍，34%的英國人受此影響，它擁有着十分複雜的生物鏈，但是奇怪的是，這種寄生蟲只能在貓咪的身上產卵、或者糞便中產卵。有調查稱，大多數貓咪都會有弓形蟲寄生的，也就是說健康的貓糞便中也會有弓形蟲卵囊，但並不代表它有弓形蟲病。有弓形蟲病的動物也不一定會傳染給人。
French scientists collected global data on brain cancers in men and women and compared it with figures on T. gondii infection rates. This showed brain cancer rates to be highest in countries where the parasite was most prevalent – even when other factors such as income were taken into account.
The scientists, led by Frederic Thomas, from the CNRS research institute in Montpellier, said: ‘We feel our results are sufficiently strong to propose that T. gondii potentially increases the risk of brain cancer in humans.’
法國科學家通過調查後發現，弓形蟲病高發地區與腦癌高發地區在地域上竟然“不謀而合”，專家Frederic Thomas稱：“我的調查給於了弓形蟲病可引發腦癌機率這一猜測重要依據。”
The parasite has already been linked to brain tumours in e is also other evidence that T. gondii has effects on the brain leading to changes in behaviour. Infected rats are known to lose their fear of cats, making it more likely that they will be killed and eaten. This is good from the parasite’s point of view, as it speeds its passage into the cat gut, allowing it to breed and eventually spread. The parasite may also sway human behaviour, with research suggesting it turns men into aggressive, jealous ‘alley cats’, while transforming women into ‘sex kittens’.
但是，專家解釋道，免疫力高的人可以放心貓咪對自己的影響，因爲免疫力正常的人是不會患弓形蟲病的，也就是說即便寄生蟲感染人體，也不會對健康造成影響，就好像腸道里的大腸桿菌，出生時候就會感染一樣。而且聽說國外調查顯示感染弓形蟲的女人往往會更溫柔。此外，專家覺得弓形蟲病還會影響人們的舉止，因爲在實驗中，被弓形蟲病感染的小白鼠喪失了“懼怕貓咪的能力”，這增加了它們被殺害的可能。
