A deadly parasite that cats spread thru their feces is a huge health threat. Why is the world so blase' about an infection that leaves permanent incysted parasites in billions of people's brains? Feces can turn to dust making airborne infection possible.

"Toxoplasma's primary hosts are cats, the only hosts in which it reproduces sexually, but this protozoan infects a large array of mammals, including humans, with about 50 million infected people in the US.

Some scientists say the parasite has affected human behavior enough to change entire cultures.

"The germ seems to especially like infesting the brain, parasites hijacking the mind," Vyas said.

In humans this disease is rarely deadly, but in pregnant women, if they get infected during pregnancy, can provoke abortion and the infection can be risky for infants and persons with depressed immune systems.

Some connect Toxoplasma to schizophrenia and even neuroticism. "

[news.softpedia.com]

[www.livescience.com]

[www.webmesh.co.uk]

[en.wikipedia.org]

my Mom told me about this many years ago...i think people know who want to know

yea, i knew about it waaayyyyy back when i was preggo
patty

Hmm, I've never heard of this but I do parasite zap on a regular basis. Thanks. Therese

So how do you get rid of it? The standard cloves, wormwood and black walnut parasite cleanse?

I didn't find how to do it but this site had an interesting way to get rid of intestinal worms, but you can also buy Pyrantel pamoate for children I don't know why she says to go to a feed store
:

[www.naturalhealthtechniques.com]
In my opinion, the safest, cheapest, easiest, most effective way to worm yourself and your pets of the most common worms (roundworms) is to go to the local feed store and get a bottle of horse or dog roundwormer—Equi-Phar, ProTal, Strongid-T, and Nemex are all trade names of Pyrantel Pamoate (other tradenames are in the wormer section). Make sure it says Pyrantel Pamoate on the label and nothing else added. Combination wormers are not always needed and not always safe. . .

Will store-bought wormer work the same? No. Many stores still carry Piperazine wormer which has been so overused that it is no longer an effective wormer. Piperazine is often marketed as a “monthly” wormer in the pet sections. And if the product contains a tapeworm medicine (like clorpyriphos which is an organophosphate wormer), that may cause some serious side affects. Never use these store bought wormers on pregnant animals. They can strain to pass the worms so much that they can rupture their uterus and die. Always get tapeworm medicine from your doctor or veterinarian as we carry much safer brands than the grocery or feed stores do.


[en.wikipedia.org]
Pyrantel pamoate is used as a deworming agent in the treatment of hookworms (all species) and roundworms (Parascaris equorum, aka ascarids in humans) in domesticated animals such as horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, cats, dogs, and many other species. . . .
Pyrantel pamoate acts as a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent, thereby causing sudden contraction, followed by paralysis, of the helminths. This has the result of causing the worm to "lose its grip" on the intestinal wall and be passed out of the system by natural process. Since Pyrantel is poorly absorbed by the hosts intestine, the small dosage of medication used is completely ineffective to the host.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2008 05:11AM by stasia.

"Offering a partial explanation to a mysterious decline in southern sea otter population, scientists have established a strong body of circumstantial evidence linking cats to a lethal otter disease."

[www.oar.noaa.gov]