Cats
Cats crowd the harbour on Aoshima Island in the Ehime prefecture in southern Japan February 25, 2015. An army of cats rules the remote island in southern Japan, curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in a fishing village that is overrun with felines outnumbering humans six to one. Picture taken February 25, 2015. Reuters/Thomas Peter

Owning cats can affect a child’s thinking skills, according to new research. Cats carry a parasite that is linked to poor memory and reading skills in children, according to the published report.

Scientists from the University of Iowa and Florida International University have found that a feline parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which thrives in cats’ guts and spread through faecal contact, affects school-aged children’s performance in school. The parasite can lurk in brain and muscle tissues without producing symptoms, as reported in The Huffington Post.

Previous studies have already made a connection between the parasite and the presence of brain tumours in animals. Other studies have also shown that T. gondii can affect brain and produce behavioural changes.

In the new study published in the journal Parasitology, scientists tested 1,755 school children aged 12-16. They found that the kids who tested positive for T. gondii had reduced memory and poor reading skills.

Scientists wrote in their report that serum vitamin E can help reduce the brain effects caused by the feline parasite. However, they also said that more long-term studies are needed to confirm the findings. "Future longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings and research could include trials to confirm a possible efficacy of vitamin E supplementation in improving cognitive impairment hypothetically associated with the infection," the study concluded.

The single-celled parasite can cause a disease called toxoplasmosis. CDC says that the parasite is commonly found throughout the world and over 60 million people in the U.S. could be infected with the parasite.

Only a few of infected people exhibit symptoms because the body’s immune system keeps the parasite at bay. However, pregnant women and immunocompromised people are more vulnerable to the infection. CDC also states in their official page the many ways on how the parasite can be spread, but it is commonly spread through contact with cat faeces.

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