Donovick P J, Burright R G
Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Binghamton 13901.
Environ Health Perspect. 1987 Aug;73:247-50. doi: 10.1289/ehp.8773247.
As many as one billion people may be infected with animal parasites. The behavioral consequences of such infection, or of illness in general, is poorly understood. This issue is discussed using as an example infection of mice with Toxocara canis, the common roundworm of dogs. Current literature suggests that two-thirds of all dogs have been infected with this parasite, and 7% of all humans have antibodies to T. canis. T. canis completes its life cycle in dogs, but when it infects aberrant mammalian hosts (e.g., humans or mice), larvae migrate through various organ systems including the brain, where they can remain viable and mobile for extended periods of time. Changes in motor activity, sensory reactivity, and learning of mice infected with T. canis have been observed. The pattern of behavioral changes is influenced by the infection regime and exposure to other toxicants such as lead.
多达十亿人可能感染动物寄生虫。人们对这种感染或一般疾病所产生的行为后果了解甚少。本文以犬弓首蛔虫（犬常见的蛔虫）感染小鼠为例讨论了这个问题。当前文献表明，所有犬中有三分之二已感染这种寄生虫，所有人类中有7%对犬弓首蛔虫有抗体。犬弓首蛔虫在犬体内完成其生命周期，但当它感染异常的哺乳动物宿主（如人类或小鼠）时，幼虫会迁移通过包括大脑在内的各种器官系统，在大脑中它们可以长时间保持存活和活动。已观察到感染犬弓首蛔虫的小鼠在运动活动、感觉反应和学习方面的变化。行为变化模式受感染方式以及接触铅等其他有毒物质的影响。
