T. gondii is one of the most common infectious parasites on Earth, but it is also one of the most interesting to learn about. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate ...

Gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park infected with toxoplasmosis, caused by the T. gondii parasite, are 46 times more likely to be the leader of the pack, according to a new study.

Everyone loves cuddling with kittens. But there can be a little-known danger lurking behind that furry little face and that innocent-sounding meow: a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii).

For decades, some scientists have speculated that early exposure to T. gondii, usually via cats, can raise the risk of schizophrenia, a mental condition that typically emerges in early adulthood.

Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that people catch from cat feces, unwashed produce or undercooked meat. The parasite has infected up to one-third of the world's population, and after ...

Moreover, those T. gondii -positive business students were 1.7 times more likely to pursue a management and entrepreneurship emphasis (versus something less daring like accounting) than their ...

More information: Julia N. Eberhard et al, Immune targeting and host-protective effects of the latent stage of Toxoplasma gondii, Nature Microbiology (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41564-025-01967-z ...

As most of the scientists looking into T. gondii have pointed out, a lot more research will have to be conducted before we fully understand how much the bug has influenced human culture.

Toxoplasma gondii is probably the most successful parasite in the world today. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

T. gondii, reports Sapolsky, can turn a rat’s strong innate aversion to cats into an attraction, luring it into the jaws of its No. 1 predator.

Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that breeds only in cats but can infect many other species as “dead-end” hosts – dead-end, that is, unless these animals are then eaten by felines.

Four sea otters in California have died from a rare strain of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite that scientists said could pose a risk to human health. Researchers called the finding a “complete ...