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Researchers may have discovered the most infectious parasite in the world. Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic creature that scientists believe could infect up to 50 percent of people. The parasite is easily transmittable and is carried for life once a person has been infected. This may be the most infectious parasite in the world Image source: Kateryna_Kon / AdobeToxoplasma gondii has been around for decades. In fact, studies as early as the 1970s put a possible infection rate at around 30 percent of people.…

The brain-hijacking parasite Toxoplasma gondii seems to be almost everywhere. The microscopic invader is thought to infect up to 50 percent of people, and a range of studies suggests it may alter human behavior, in addition to that of many other animals.  The parasite has been linked with a large range of neurological disorders, including schizophrenia and psychotic episodes, and scientists keep uncovering more mysterious effects that may result from infection.In one such new study, researchers found that men and women…

Toxoplasma gondii is probably the most successful parasite in the world today. This microscopic creature is capable of infecting any mammal or bird, and people across all continents are infected.  Once infected, a person carries Toxoplasma for life. So far, we don't have a drug that can eradicate the parasite from the body. And there is no vaccine approved for use in humans.Across the world, it's estimated 30–50 percent of people are infected with Toxoplasma – and infections may be increasing in Australia. A survey of…

The version used in Maryland came from a pig with 10 gene modifications developed by Revivicor, a subsidiary of United Therapeutics. Following promising tests of such pig organs in baboons, three US transplant teams launched the first human studies starting in late 2021. Surgeons at New York University and the University of Alabama each attached pig kidneys to brain-dead people, but the University of Maryland went a step further when Griffith stitched a pig heart into Bennett’s chest in early January. Transferring pig…