猫猫体内特殊寄生虫或致脑癌

Cats may be spreading brain cancer to their owners, scientists warned last night.They have linked a parasite that breeds in cats’ stomachs with brain tumours in people. While they can’t prove that our feline friends are to blame, they say that properly researching the link could spare some people from developing the deadly disease. 科学家警告“养猫咪”这种习惯有可能增加主人患上癌症的可能，他们将脑部肿瘤与寄生在猫肠胃中的寄生虫联系起来，发现两者竟然有着不为人知的关系。

Brain cancer, in its various guises, claims more than 3,500 lives a year in the UK alone, and its causes are largely unknown. The parasite in the frame – Toxoplasma gondii – is carried by around a third of the world’s population deep inside their brains and has been linked to personality changes, in people as well as animals.

脑癌，有很多种表现形式，单单在英国被查出确切患上脑癌的患者每年就3500人，而因脑部肿瘤引发的案例更是无从计算。专家分析，有一种名为“弓形虫”与脑部肿瘤的发展有关系。弓形虫病又称弓浆虫病或毒浆原虫病,是一种世界性分布的人兽共患寄生性原虫病,病原为龚地弓形虫（Toxoplasma gondii）,是一种细胞内的专性寄生原虫,在家畜和野生动物中广泛存在,感染率高,危害严重。此外，它还是由肉孢子虫科弓形虫属的龚地弓形虫引起的一种人畜共患的原虫病，其特点是虫体寄生于中间宿主体内所有的有核细胞内。

The parasite, which infects up to 34 per cent of Britons, has a complicated lifecycle but can only breed inside cats, which then pass their microscopic eggs, spreading the infection. Pregnant women are already advised not to empty cat litter trays, as the parasite can be fatal to unborn babies, and now it seems the health risks may extend to other people.

据悉，这种寄生虫（弓形虫）十分普遍，34%的英国人受此影响，它拥有着十分复杂的生物链，但是奇怪的是，这种寄生虫只能在猫咪的身上产卵、或者粪便中产卵。有调查称，大多数猫咪都会有弓形虫寄生的，也就是说健康的猫粪便中也会有弓形虫卵囊，但并不代表它有弓形虫病。有弓形虫病的动物也不一定会传染给人。

French scientists collected global data on brain cancers in men and women and compared it with figures on T. gondii infection rates. This showed brain cancer rates to be highest in countries where the parasite was most prevalent – even when other factors such as income were taken into account.

The scientists, led by Frederic Thomas, from the CNRS research institute in Montpellier, said: ‘We feel our results are sufficiently strong to propose that T. gondii potentially increases the risk of brain cancer in humans.’

法国科学家通过调查后发现，弓形虫病高发地区与脑癌高发地区在地域上竟然“不谋而合”，专家Frederic Thomas称：“我的调查给于了弓形虫病可引发脑癌机率这一猜测重要依据。”

The parasite has already been linked to brain tumours in animals.There is also other evidence that T. gondii has effects on the brain leading to changes in behaviour. Infected rats are known to lose their fear of cats, making it more likely that they will be killed and eaten. This is good from the parasite’s point of view, as it speeds its passage into the cat gut, allowing it to breed and eventually spread. The parasite may also sway human behaviour, with research suggesting it turns men into aggressive, jealous ‘alley cats’, while transforming women into ‘sex kittens’.

但是，专家解释道，免疫力高的人可以放心猫咪对自己的影响，因为免疫力正常的人是不会患弓形虫病的，也就是说即便寄生虫感染人体，也不会对健康造成影响，就好像肠道里的大肠杆菌，出生时候就会感染一样。而且听说国外调查显示感染弓形虫的女人往往会更温柔。此外，专家觉得弓形虫病还会影响人们的举止，因为在实验中，被弓形虫病感染的小白鼠丧失了“惧怕猫咪的能力”，这增加了它们被杀害的可能。