Having Cats Lead to Schizophrenia?

[Anuwolf]

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check out this article

http://www.progressiveu.org/143432-having-cats-lead-to-schizophrenia

You cat lovers aren't going to like this one 🙁

 

[Psyclops]

What? I can't tell if it's a hoax. It doesn't seem like a fake nytimes.com link. But, why would these things only be able to reproduce in feline feces?

 

[OldPsychDoc]

What? I can't tell if it's a hoax. It doesn't seem like a fake nytimes.com link. But, why would these things only be able to reproduce in feline feces?

Toxoplasmosis has long been known to be an infection which can affect the fetus developmentally. It can also be acquired by eating raw meat--which is where the cats get it. Cat feces is just a more common route of transmission to domesticated humans.

I hadn't heard of prenatal toxo exposure being linked to schizophrenia, though it makes some sense. Plus it brings a whole new dimension to the sterotypical "crazy cat ladies" of our world...

 

[Anasazi23]

Toxoplasmosis is one element of the famous TORCH syndromes that affect newborns and are responsible for a myriad of both physiological and neuropsychiatric syndromes.

It's the reason you don't allow your pregnant wife to scoop the cat box.

 

[Poety]

Toxoplasmosis is one element of the famous TORCH syndromes that affect newborns and are responsible for a myriad of both physiological and neuropsychiatric syndromes.

It's the reason you don't allow your pregnant wife to scoop the cat box.

I requested a screening for toxo when I was pregnant since i have a cat. My ob explained in his 30+ years he had NEVER seen one positive titer for toxo - so the risk is actually quite minimal. (mine was negative and I've had cats my whole life)

You will make ab's to toxo if exposed, after which, when you become immunocompromised you may actually acquire full blown infection - otherwise you're quite equipped to fight this off.

Those that work around animals everyday (ie vets, vet techs, etc) are at the highest risk.

this is also commonly seen in pt's with full blown AIDS. I'm not sure about the link to schizophrenia, but the symptoms of infection are clearly going to affect thought processes since it causes ring enhancing lesions in the brain.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

My understanding from toxo is that you're not going to get it unless your cat goes outside and hunts and you let the feces sit in the litter box for a long, long time before scooping them. Cats get toxo from other animals, so if your cat is only eating packaged cat food, she can't get toxo -- of course, if you have mice in your house, it's a possibility. Also, the parasite that causes toxo needs one to two days after being excreted before becoming infectious, so if you're on top of the litter box thing and do simple preventative things like wear gloves and wash your hands immediately after scooping, you should be okay.

 

[whopper]

As mentioned above, its logical to assume a Toxo infection, especially in infants can lead to some type of neuro-psychiatric sequelae, but since there's not much information, its only food for thought now.

There is though an established theory with backing that infectious viruses can cause schizophrenia if the infection occurs inutero.

 

[Poety]

As mentioned above, its logical to assume a Toxo infection, especially in infants can lead to some type of neuro-psychiatric sequelae, but since there's not much information, its only food for thought now.

There is though an established theory with backing that infectious viruses can cause schizophrenia if the infection occurs inutero.

hmph, interesting.

 

[whopper]

Poety, if you have Kaplan & Sadock..another book I'd reccomend to you if you're starting out in Psyche, read the Schizophrenia section.

There's a heck of lot of stuff in there you don't get taught in medschool that are important for the boards.

E.g. more people with schizophrenia are born on certain months, in direct correlation with the theory I mentioned, as well as a lot of other interesting things..e.g. Schizophrenics have differing EEGs and have differing saccadic eye movements.

 

[Hurricane]

Yet another reason why I am training the cats to do all of their pooping outside, as god intended.