Manipulation or adjustment : why rodents infected with toxoplasma lose their fear of predators?

• Main Author: Muhammad Lutfi Kamaludin
• Other Authors: Ajai Vyas
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/67363
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Rodents infected with Toxoplasma Gondii lose their innate fear of predator odours. This behavioural change has been hypothesized to be a form of manipulation by the parasite to increase its transmission efficiency to its definitive host. However, there are several challenges to this hypothesis, including inconsistencies in previous studies, lack of predation studies and T.gondii can be maintained via vertical transmission. There is also an alternative hypothesis where the behavioural changes are a form of infection syndrome caused by the infection. In this review, these issues are addressed. Two predictions were also made where manipulation will not exist in a stable environment and in monogamous species.