Video 1 min read

Why should you avoid cats during pregnancy?

Published the Updated By Sacha Tembe and Jeanne Fenouil

A parasite capable of eliminating a mouse’s fear of cats and remaining dormant in the human brain for years: Maëlwenn Hamon, a doctoral student at the Institut Pasteur, unravels the mysteries of Toxoplasma gondii and its sometimes serious consequences during pregnancy.
  • #Parasites
  • #Pregnancy
Le parasite du chat

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© Script: Jeanne Fenouil and Sacha Tembe - Filmmaking: Jeanne Fenouil (video in french, english subtitles available translated by AI)

 

Why should pregnant women avoid cats?

In this video, Maëlwenn Hamon, a doctoral student at the Institut Pasteur working in Pauline Speder's team, explains how the Toxoplasma gondii parasite interacts with its hosts... and sometimes manipulates their behavior!

In mice, it completely erases their fear of cats.

In humans, the infection often goes unnoticed... except during pregnancy, when it can have serious consequences for the fetus. Maëlwenn and her colleagues are seeking to understand how this parasite affects the brain, particularly during development, and what happens when it reactivates.

This research is essential to better understand the interactions between parasites, the brain, and behavior.