I might know why you/we are all mad here....Cats= link to schizophrenia

[NightWatcher]

http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080124/infection-with-common-parasite-raises-schizophrenia-risk.htm

THURSDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Infection with the common Toxoplasma gondii parasite -- carried by cats and farm animals -- may increase a person's risk of schizophrenia, a U.S. study suggests.

Publishing in the January issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that 7 percent of the 180 schizophrenia patients in the study had been infected with toxoplasma before their diagnosis, compared to 5 percent of 532 people without schizophrenia.

That means that those exposed to toxoplasma had a 24 percent greater risk of developing schizophrenia. While this represents a small increase in risk, it's important because it may offer new clues about how the disease occurs in some of the 2 million cases of schizophrenia in the United States, the study authors said. That may help lead to new treatments.

"Our findings reveal the strongest association we've seen yet between infection with this very common parasite and the subsequent development of schizophrenia," researcher Dr. Robert Yolken, a neurovirologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, said in a prepared statement.

[mainegreen]

1. Well, that explains crazy old cat ladies. n/t

[Skittles]

3. the only crazy cat people are the ones who hoard them

I don't understand the label CRAZY being applied to elderly folk - especially women - who love their pets

[mainegreen]

4. k

I'm backing away from this potential flame war. Sorry if I offended you, I meant none.

Leave it at pets are wonderful, but people should just make sure they can take care of them.

[kedrys]

2. So with 6 cats, I have a

144% greater chance of being batshit crazy?

Sounds about right. :P