Toxoplasma — The Most Successful Parasite in the world….do you know it?
“The global seroprevalence of latent toxoplasmosis is estimated to be higher than 30%. The presence of slowly dividing parasites in tissue cysts located mainly in immunoprivileged organs was long considered asymptomatic. Recently, many studies have shown that latent Toxoplasma infections could have serious impacts on human health.” (Flegr et al.)
Toxoplasma is the most “successful” parasite in the world but is known only to a few.
In humans, it infects the brain, heart, lungs, and muscle tissue. Multiple groups of scientists call it a “Global Threat” due to its detrimental effects on our physical and mental health. WHO, CDC, FAO, and numerous groups of scientists, doctors, and researchers are urging governments, politicians, healthcare professionals, and journalists to take the matter seriously and to put it on the public agenda to educate, mitigate and eradicate.
Toxoplasma is associated with depression, cancer, diabetes, obesity, bipolar, schizophrenia, self-harm, dementia, aggression, reduced learning ability in children, subtle mind control, and impaired curiosity.
It has infected more than 30% of the global population. In the US and Europe, it is even more prevalent with significant variance from country to country.
The older you are the higher the probability of being infected. If you are 50 years old, the average probability of being infected with Toxoplasma is in the range of 50% — so it’s worth investing 15 minutes in getting to know it.
Below you will find a compressed version of most of the available information on Toxoplasma.
If you only have five minutes — I recommend this video that sets the scene very well (from 2019):
(5-minute video) Toxoplasmosis: A Manipulative Foodborne Brain Parasite
The above video is one of a series of short videos, that can be found here:
- Long-term effects ( 5 minutes)
- Does Toxoplasma cause schizophrenia? (5 minutes)
- How to prevent Toxoplasmosis (5 minutes)
..the systematic review of the available literature revealed that latent, chronic infection could be a risk factor for a wide spectrum of several neurological and psychiatric manifestations, including altered cognition and behavior as a possible consequence. (Meta-study, 2018)
Toxoplasma overview.
Most of the information below is either well-established biology or is from peer-reviewed scientific reports and articles. Anecdotal and metaphysical evidence is abundant too but limited in this article to sections on natural remedies and ontology. The latter section does, however, shed light on some very important perspectives of “parasitism” that are instrumental in understanding the phenomenon of Toxoplasma.
Please use the links for further documentation and depth. Links are updated and added as new information surfaces.
Do not take it all at face value, please do your own research to build an informed opinion.
Having researched the subject for several years, it is my opinion that Toxoplasma is a very serious health issue that warrants immediate action. It is also my opinion that the problem can be solved, and that there are multiple ways to do this.
Many scientists believe that its accumulated effects even have an influence on our political choices and the way we function as a society. My research supports this assessment. Obviously a significant claim, but never the less qualified and plausible.
- A large number of articles and videos have warned about the detrimental effects on humans' physical and psychiatric health
- It is the most researched parasite ever (being a “model protozoan”) and more than 10.000 peer-reviewed articles have been published on the subject of Tg — and yet this could be the first time you hear about it…
- Is called a “Global Threat” in several scientific reports
- A leading Toxoplasma scientist, Prof. Jaroslav Flegr estimates that it kills more people than malaria
- Is being related to a number of severe illnesses
- It can influence its host’s behavior, especially wrt. amygdala and the paleomammalian brain (limbic system). Suspected to influence the global and cellular physiology of the Central Nervous System (CNS).
- It has developed its functionality and modus operandi for at least 10 million years. Other parasitic fungus species even managed “host-control” 40–100 million years ago. Toxoplasma has developed in parallel with the development of the CNS and the brain
- It can reprogram the DNA translation of the host cell
- Creates a huge boost in T-cells when it enters the body and confuses the immune system — which is suspected to trigger autoimmune conditions (such as diabetes I)
- Traverses the blood-brain-barrier in a very sophisticated way
- Creates cysts (bradyzoites) in muscle tissue (for instance the heart) and in the brain
- Has a preference for the area around Amygdala (fear, emotion, reward) dentate gyrus, and caudate nucleus (seat of curiosity). Suspected to alter risk-taking in humans.
- It is able to influence the synthesis of Dopamine (and Serotonin and Testosterone) and increase Glutamate. It also disturbs the synthesis of Norepinephrine
- Is not “dormant” but affects brain chemistry throughout chronic infection, and wears down the immune system (also here)
- It alters synaptic protein composition in the brain.
- The “latent” infection is damaging the individual, so it has to be removed or at least be kept from growing
- Can be suppressed or even removed using a — surprisingly large — array of suggested remedies and methods (see below for an overview, no advice is given in this article)
- Hosts can be immunized, and prophylactic action can reduce its effects
- 99% of us have never heard about it. UN/FAO/WHO/CDC et al. are all calling for action since years ago, yet there are no national, regional or global programs against Tg infection.….. Why?
The lack of action is a paradox and tragedy. This must change.
Tg’s possible behaviouristic symptoms as described in scientific literature includes; a reduction in novelty-seeking (reduced Curiosity), reduced learning ability, proneness to dogma, aggressiveness, conformity, conscientiousness, jealousy & envy, trust in authority, amplified anxieties/fear, driven by emotion more than fact and prone to buy into fear-based narratives (and -isms).
In August 2018 this peer-reviewed article concluded that:
“Although latent, chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii in immunocompetent or seropositive humans was generally considered relatively benign, the systematic review of the available literature revealed that latent, chronic infection could be a risk factor for a wide spectrum of several neurological and psychiatric manifestations, including altered cognition and behavior as a possible consequence. “
A scientific article published in May 2019 states that:
“The take-home message here is that the effects of toxoplasmosis are worse than you imagine.”
What is being said about Toxoplasma among scientists and institutions?
University of California (2019): “These results suggest that in contrast to assuming chronic Toxoplasma infection as quiescent and benign, we should be aware of the potential risk to normal neurological pathways and changes in brain chemistry,”
Unit for Gastrointestinal Infections, Robert Koch Institute Germany (2016): “High numbers of seroconversions during pregnancies pose substantial risks for unborn children. Efforts to raise awareness of toxoplasmosis in public health programs targeting to T. gondii transmission control are therefore strongly advocated.”
Flegr et al. (2016): “Results of the present cohort study, along with the previous data from many case-control studies or ecological studies suggest that latent toxoplasmosis represents a large and so far underrated public health problem.”
WHO Europe (2016): “Toxoplasmosis: greater awareness needed (..) More awareness is needed in Europe about the risk factors for infection of Toxoplasma gondii, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).”
Kugler et al. (2016): “Systemic toxoplasma infection triggers a long-term defect in the generation and function of naive T lymphocytes”
(.. ) leads to an immunocompromised state that both promotes chronic Toxoplasma infection and leads to decreased resistance to challenge with an unrelated pathogen.”
WHO (2015): “The disease burden due to most foodborne parasites is highly focal and results in significant morbidity and mortality among vulnerable populations.”
Sinai et al. (2015): ”…the study has significant implications on the understanding of chronic toxoplasmosis in the brain, a condition suggested to contribute to a range of neurological diseases including schizophrenia in humans” “These findings directly challenge the prevailing notion of bradyzoites as dormant nonreplicative entities in chronic toxoplasmosis and have implications on our understanding of this enigmatic and clinically important life cycle stage. This fundamentally alters our understanding of chronic toxoplasmosis,”
Flegr et al. (2014): “Toxoplasmosis — A Global Threat. Correlation of Latent Toxoplasmosis with Specific Disease Burden..”
Center for Disease Control, CDC, USA (2014): “Parasitic infections affect millions around the world causing seizures, blindness, infertility, heart failure, and even death (..) While parasitic infections can sometimes affect millions of people, they often cause few symptoms and go unnoticed (..) More than 60 million people (in US) are chronically infected with Toxoplasma gondii (..) The CDC experts noted that most parasitic infections can be prevented and many are treatable. But they most often go undiagnosed and untreated because people don’t know they are at risk or infected, and many doctors, unfamiliar with these infections, fail to diagnose or treat them properly”
United Nations/FAO (2014): “Despite their huge social costs and global impacts, information is generally lacking regarding just where these parasites come from, how they live in the human body, and — most importantly — how they make people sick (..) But considering the problems they cause, these parasites do not get the attention they deserve. We hope that by releasing a top 10 ranking we can increase awareness among policymakers, the media, and the general public about this major public health issue.”
Prime Minister of Iceland (2014): “PM Fears Behaviour-Changing Microbe in Imported Meat”
Gary Smith et al. (2014) “Up to 1/5 of all schizophrenia-related to Tg (..)By finding out how important a factor T. gondii infection is, this work might inform our attitude to researching the subject. Instead of ridiculing the idea of a connection between T. gondii and schizophrenia because it seems so extraordinary, we can sit down and consider the evidence. Perhaps then we might be persuaded to look for more ways to reduce the number of people infected with toxoplasma.”
Flegr et al (2014): “The existence of a strong correlation between the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and health of the population (..) suggests that ‘asymptomatic’ latent toxoplasmosis could have a large impact on public health.”
WHO (2013): “Our estimates of the incidence and burden of CT point to a very large global burden of toxoplasmosis. (..) There are also increasing reports of neurological, psychiatric, or psychomotor disorders related to “latent” toxoplasmosis, and of a higher frequency of road traffic accidents among seropositive individuals (..) the global burden of disease attributable to toxoplasmosis is considerably greater than suggested by our CT data.”.
Professor Jaroslav Flegr: (2012): “‘When you add up all the different ways it can harm us (..) Toxoplasma might even kill as many people as malaria, or at least a million people a year (..)There is strong psychological resistance to the possibility that human behavior can be influenced by some stupid parasite..”
Furtado et al. (2011) “Toxoplasmosis; A Global Threat”
Wiki (2009): “Overall, Toxoplasmosis can have extremely detrimental effects on anyone who contracts the disease.”
Disease with Tg as recognized causal factor:
- Toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised hosts, e.g HIV and other immune diseases (unfortunately chronic Tg also wears down the immune defense)
- Retinal lesions
- Congenital Toxoplasmosis (fairly rare, but severe. Up to 1% of all pregnancies could experience ATI (Acute Toxoplasma Infection)
- Influenza-like symptoms at the time of infection, due to a boost in T-cells
- Acute toxoplasmosis
Disease with Tg as a suggested causal factor (full, in part, or accentuating/amplifying)
- Various forms of cancer, with emphasis on brain cancer (Tg is mimicking the iron metabolism of cancer and is altering DNA sequences), but also oral cancer and prostate cancer
- Lung cancer (100% of the LC patients in this test had Tg)
- Has been shown to perhaps reduce ovarian cancer
- Diabetes I & II (also here and here)
- Encephalitis
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Cardiovascular disorders/Cardiac diseases
- Epilepsy (also here and here)
- Long-term wear-down of immune defense
- Schizophrenia (also here, here , here and here)
- Bipolar disorder / manio-depressive (also here and here)
- Anxiety and GAD (general anxiety disorder)
- OCD
- The onset of various dementia related conditions
- Alzheimer’s (also here and here)and Parkinson’s
- Autism and ADHD
- Obesity
In general Tg is strongly associated with mental disease due it creating inflammation.
Several studies links the exposure to Toxoplasmosis as a risk factor of vast array of neuropsychiatric symptoms including schizophrenia. The effects of Toxoplasma infection on the cytokine, neuro-inflammation, neuro-degeneration and behavior are beginning to be understood. Toxoplasma gondii might affect the brain through local and systemic inflammation. This study helps us to understand the possible link between Toxoplasmosis and mental illness.
Suggested influence on behavior/psyche
- Reduction in “Novelty seeking” (i.e elimination of healthy Curiosity….the most dangerous aspect of Tg)
- Aggressiveness, “explosive anger syndrome”
- Self-directed aggressiveness, suicide
- Lowered capacity of learning — especially in children
- Conformity and dogmatism
- Extreme PMS and deeper postnatal depression
- Amplification of fear and subtle anxiety
- Wetiko
Suggested influence on the collective
- A massive reduction in “novelty seeking” on a societal level
- Amplification of fear-based agendas/collective fear-inducing events
- Causal disturbances
It is NOT just a “cat parasite”
There is much evidence pointing towards that cats are not the (only) ultimate host and that this is not a cat parasite but a parasite that can infect virtually any living organism. The constant referral to a cat parasite is unfair to cats and is counterproductive to the conversation.
The notion that only cats complete the coccidian life cycle and pass environmentally resistant oocysts in feces is based on very limited science.
Tg is traced at least 10 million years back in time, maybe even 60–70 million years — and there were no cats back then. Tg’s cousin — the malaria parasite — goes at least half a billion years back.
Rats only emerged some 3–6 million years ago.
Tg thrives in areas where there are no felines — such as Antarctica and way north of the arctic circle.
Overview of known/suggested solutions/remedies/methods (work in progress)
The conventional narrative on Tg and the factual narrative are not synchronous. For instance, it is conventional wisdom that the main culprits are “cats, meat, and vegetables”, however that seems to be incorrect. Tg is a parasite that transmits in a number of ways — food, mother/child, aerosol, sexually, saliva, water, human to human, animal to human, etc.
There is very low/almost no risk in eating pork, beef, and vegetables when managed properly.
Bottom line is that it is not fully understood how Toxoplasma has become the world’s most successful parasite, which can be found in Beluga whales in the Arctic to seals and birds in Antarctica, and in humans in every country, every race, every culture — from aboriginals in Australia to Inuit in Greenland and Brazilian Amazon Indians.
Once you have been infected you will have developed immunity — so you can only get infected by Tg once.
Tg has no real defense but stealth. Therefore, it seems to be sensitive to a large number of treatments. How these are administered, mixed, and used is subject to individual assessment. No advice is given. Please consult your doctor.
The first thing you should do is to See It, Get to Know It. Become Aware.
Be conscious of its existence and get to know the facts. Stay curious and inquisitive. Do not feed it with fear or frenzied emotional displays. Calm down and discipline your emotions. Use your intelligence and ability to contemplation, inquiry, and discernment. Embrace your universal right to a consciousness that is yours. Your free will is beyond anything else and no one/nothing but You are in control. It is a choice.
Tg is the best news since it was discovered that bacteria are the culprit in many infections. If we solve the Tg problem we can reduce the disease burden. It can only get better from here.
There are three generic defense strategies; Avoidance, Resistance, and Tolerance, and the way forward is obviously a mix of these.
Below is a — constantly developing — overview of known/suggested solutions/remedies/methods;
Officially endorsed medication:
A combination of different drugs is recommended.
- Pyrimethamine is a generic drug that can be produced at a very low cost. Often administered together with penicillin (sulfadiazine) and folic acid
- Ivermectin, Hydroxocloroquine
- Spiramycin, Clarithromycin, Azithromycin, Atovaquone/Clindamycin also finds usage
- Various antipsychotic medications (!)
Suggested alternatives (use your own discernment, read the information in the links. No advice given in this article):
Here is an aggregated research report on the subject of natural remedies.
Other interesting avenues to follow (not prioritized):
- Natural antibiotic tonic (turmeric, garlic, pepper etc)
- Marijuana/cannabis oil
- DMT
- Syrian Rue, Chinese herbs (Torilis, Zingiber, Sophora, Astragalus, Scutellaria)
- Turmeric (Curcumin)
- Artemisinin and derivatives
- Black Pepper (piperidine)
- Oil of oregano
- Garlic (also essential oil)
- Ginger
- Ficus Religiosa
- Myhrr/Mirazid, Black Seed, Black Walnut
- Boiss oli
- Brahmi (Bacopa)
- Monatomic gold
- Tobacco (especially due to an elevation of CO in the bloodstream)
- Hypericum erectum
Statistical analysis shows that those with Tg infection are less prone to smoke tobacco and marijuana.
Frequency, EMF, and electrical currents:
- Low frequency (ELF-EMF)
- “Zapper” & Rife (many different types, all same principles)
- Different scalar initiatives also seem promising
- Frequencies mentioned in the literature (Hz); 434, 842, 395, 464.04, 1453.53, 19665.89, 979.11, 852, 4340, 8520 Hz
Other methods or vaccines under development
- Gene protein kinase A (PKA)
- Spider venom
- Homeopathic biotherapy
- Phage therapy
- Nano-gold/laser treatment
- New drug JPC-2056
- Norharmane, harmane, and harmine
- Nitric oxide and Vitamin D3
- Actin protein disruption
- Melatonin and anandamide (immunization)
- DNA immunization
- Use of Eimeria as a live vector
- Transition interference
- Enzymes ( thioredoxins)…that also could be relevant to Malaria
- Novel arctigenin derivatives
What is Tg in an evolutionary context?
To understand and decode the workings of Toxoplasma gondii, we must investigate its ontology; Parasitism.
Classified in biology in the triune; {Predator, Symbiote, Parasite} — thus being an evolutionary quality. Parasitism works from a molecular level (virus) and up. This triune lies in the natural fabric of physicality, biology, and psyche, and its manifestation within species is observable in all of the many life forms we know of. These qualities also lie at the foundation of how we organize society. In this light parasitism is a strategy. This is why science refers to intelligence in parasitism.
This triune reflects three fundamental strategies in the process of evolution: Individualism, Collectivism, and Parasitism (expressed as commensalism, mutualism, and parasitism)
Parasitism is essential for life. Life emerged as a consequence of parasitism at the molecular level, and intracellular parasitism created evolutive events that allowed species to diversify. (Parasitism, Araujo et al.)
It is not only a set of biological rules. Parasitism is also a part of our psychic fabric, and as such an archetype — that according to Jung et al. has agency.
It has a place in our consciousness and its basic pattern is printed into the collective subconscious — and here lies the root cause of the hardship in getting this on the public agenda as an important health issue.
Parasitism prefers the shadows, the less the host is aware the better. Parasitism is an expert in stealth and distortion. To avoid discovery.
The U-set {Individual, Group, Parasite} is in a constant interactive process and never in perfect equilibrium, however as the central dynamic is equilibrium, corrections must happen.
The overall raison d’etre for Parasitism seems to be to challenge the status quo, to probe and test the host’s defenses:
“The parasite is an exciter. Far from transforming a system, changing its nature, its form, its elements, its relations and its pathways the parasite makes it change states differentially. It inclines it. It makes the equilibrium of the energetic distribution fluctuate. It dopes it. It irritates it. It inflames it. Often this inclination has no effect. But it can produce gigantic ones by chain reactions or reproduction.” (Michel Serres, The Parasite)
Parasitism takes advantage of the blindsides and weak defenses. It is a constant challenge and has a very important role in keeping the societal immune system (i.e the political- and institutional system) on its toes and in perpetual development.
It is easy to see the natural algorithms behind the triune elements, where Individualism favors aggregation, Collectivism favors replication and Parasitism favors intrusion and attachment.
Anyone observing society, humans, nature, and our various modes of interaction will easily be able to see and distinct these qualities, but less so in terms of Parasitism that rather remains unseen — and that is why the scientific facts presented here (or contemplation hereof) will be novel to most people.
How can I access if I have Toxoplasma gondii?:
A way to self-assess if you are affected by Toxoplasma — is to measure your ability to deal with the subject itself;
If you reject or condemn it without further investigation and/or experience medium to strong resentment to the idea of a brain-parasite, if your consciousness seeks to induce an abrupt change in subject when Tg is discussed, or if you find it very difficult/fear-provoking to contemplate …..then you are more likely to have Tg….but you probably won’t have read this long into the article anyway.
Your doctor can test you, the testing procedure is a simple blood sample and -analysis.
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I’m not a scientist — so this is a layman’s perspective. Please do your own research and do not take my words at face value. I discovered Toxoplasma because my son has bipolar disorder and my daughter has diabetes Type 1. It was my research in these serious conditions that introduced me to the subject.
I believe that Toxoplasma is the most significant issue that humanity has faced, but also an opportunity to remove a huge burden of suffering while expanding our understanding of nature’s wonders.
Since 2013 I have been fighting for getting it on the institutional- and political agenda in Denmark. The resistance I have encountered over the years is staggering and somewhat tragic — but also telling and as such an important learning experience. Work in progress. May we become operational soon to start solving the problem, mitigating, and informing.
For the sake of the children.
Stay Curious.
