最新一项研究发现，养猫的女性更容易患精神疾病、且会有自杀倾向。原因是猫砂中有一种寄生虫极易被人体感染，然后潜藏于人脑和肌肉细胞内，而这种寄生虫感染多与精神疾病有关。研究人员称，这种寄生虫叫弓形虫，接触猫的粪便、食入未烹制熟肉以及未清洗的蔬菜时都有可能感染该寄生虫。在这项针对超过4.5万名女性的研究中，研究人员发现，感染弓形虫的女性自杀的几率是未感染女性的1.5倍，而且随着体内弓形虫抗体的增加，自杀几率也随之上升。
women who own cats are more likelyto have mental health problems and commit suicide because they canbe infected by a common parasite that can be caught from catlitter, a study has found。
researchers found women infectedwith the toxoplasmagondii (t. gondii) parasite, which is spreadthrough contact with cat faeces or eating undercooked meat orunwashed vegetables, are at increased risk of attemptingsuicide。
the study involved more than 45,000women in denmark. about a third of the world’s population isinfected with the parasite, which hides in cells in the brain andmuscles, often without producing symptoms。
the infection, which is calledtoxoplasmosis, has been linked to mental illness, such asschizophrenia, and changes in behavior。
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