Humans can become infected with the parasite in the same way other mammals can—by consuming the undercooked meat of infected animals or by coming in direct contact with environments contaminated with cat feces, such as drinking water, garden soil, or litter boxes—and it turns out that Toxoplasma also has an effect on human brains. As the science journalist Kathleen McAuliffe reports on observations made by parasitologists, “Neurons harboring the parasite were making 3.5 times more dopamine. The chemical could actually be seen pooling inside infected brain cells.” Toxoplasma can cause a variety
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