PARIS (HRNW) – Wolves infected with a common parasite are far more likely to become the leader of their pack, according to a new study, suggesting that the brain-dwelling intruder emboldens its host to take more risks.
The single-celled parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, only sexually reproduces in cats but can infect all warm-blooded animals.
Between 30-50 percent of people worldwide are estimated to be infected with the parasite, which remains for life as dormant tissue cysts. However people with a healthy immune system rarely have any symptoms.
While some studies have reported an association between people having the parasite in their brain and increased risk-taking, other research has disputed these findings and no definitive link has been proven.
The new study, published in the journal Communications Biology on Thursday, took advantage of 26 years worth of data on grey wolves living in the Yellowstone National Park in the United States to investigate how the parasite could affect their behaviour.
The researchers from the Yellowstone Wolf Project analysed the blood samples of nearly 230 wolves and 62 cougars — the big cats are known spreaders of the parasite.