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''Toxoplasma gondii'' (tŏk'sə-plāz'mə gŏn'dē-ī') is an obligate, intracellular, parasitic protozoan that causes the disease toxoplasmosis. Found worldwide, ''T. gondii'' is capable of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals,〔J.P Dubey (2010) p. 1〕 although felids such as domestic cats are the only known definitive hosts in which the parasite can undergo sexual reproduction.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/biology.html )〕 In humans, ''T. gondii'' is one of the most common parasites in developed countries;〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cat-parasite-toxoplasma-gondii-linked-to-mental-illness-schizophrenia/ )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/about.html )〕 serological studies estimate that 30–50% of the global population has been exposed to and may be chronically infected with ''T. gondii'', although infection rates differ significantly from country to country. For example, previous estimates have shown the highest prevalence of persons infected to be in France, at 84%. Although mild, flu-like symptoms occasionally occur during the first few weeks following exposure, infection with ''T. gondii'' produces no readily observable symptoms in healthy human adults.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/disease.html )〕〔J.P Dubey (2010) p. 77〕 This asymptomatic state of infection is referred to as a latent infection and has recently been associated with numerous subtle adverse or pathological behavioral alterations in humans.〔 In infants, HIV/AIDS patients, and others with weakened immunity, infection can cause serious and occasionally fatal illness (toxoplasmosis).〔〔 ''T. gondii'' has been shown to alter the behavior of infected rodents in ways thought to increase the rodents' chances of being preyed upon by cats.〔 Support for this "Manipulation Hypothesis" stems from studies showing ''T. gondii'' infected rats have a decreased aversion to cat urine and increased reaction time.〔 Because cats are the only hosts within which ''T. gondii'' can sexually reproduce to complete and begin its lifecycle, such behavioral manipulations are thought to be evolutionary adaptations that increase the parasite's reproductive success.〔 The primary mechanisms of ''T. gondii''–induced behavioral changes in rodents is now known to occur through epigenetic remodeling in neurons which govern the associated behaviors;〔〔 for example, it modifies epigenetic methylation to cause hypomethylation of arginine vasopressin-related genes in the medial amygdala to greatly decrease predator aversion. Widespread histone-lysine acetylation in cortical astrocytes appears to be another epigenetic mechanism employed by ''T. gondii''. Differences in aversion to cat urine are observed between non-infected and infected humans and sex differences within these groups were apparent as well. A number of studies have suggested that subtle behavioral or personality changes may occur in infected humans, and infection with the parasite has recently been associated with a number of neurological disorders, particularly schizophrenia.〔 A 2015 study also found cognitive deficits in adults to be associated with joint infection by both ''T. gondii'' and ''Helicobacter pylori'' in a regression model with controls for race-ethnicity and educational attainment. However, although a causal relationship between latent toxoplasmosis with these neurological phenomena has not yet been established,〔〔 preliminary evidence suggests that ''T. gondii'' infection can induce some of the same alterations in the human brain as those observed in mice. == Lifecycle == The lifecycle of ''T. gondii'' can be broadly summarized into two components: 1) a sexual component that occurs only within cats (felids, wild or domestic), and 2) an asexual component that can occur within virtually all warm-blooded animals, including humans, cats, and birds.〔Louis M Weiss, Kami Kim (2011) p. 2〕 Because ''T. gondii'' can sexually reproduce only within cats, they are defined as the definitive host of ''T. gondii''. All other hosts – hosts in which only asexual reproduction can occur – are defined as intermediate hosts. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Toxoplasma gondii」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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