Yesterday I was surprised to come across TWO entertaining storylines based on different ruthless microbes that I should know much more about: Toxoplasma gondii and Clostridium botulinum. At this point, I’ll take any opportunity to review the thousands of factoids that I’ll be responsible for knowing cold later this year, so I welcomed the nerdy theme to my evening entertainment.
The first bug, Toxoplasma gondii, was featured in a great NPR segment about a pregnant woman concerned that being scratched by her cat would harm her fetus (totally possible). It meandered into a tale of how the domestication of cats in general has tracked with an increase in schizophrenia, because this lil’ bug lives best in cats but can easily infect humans and contribute to mental illness. Crazy cat lady much? There’s something to it!
Then, thanks to Comcast free TV episodes, Jon and I watched a recent CSI Miami about the evils of corporate mega-farming. Two young people were killed due to the negligent nastiness of a cattle yard sitting uphill of a spinach field (grossss!), and the paralyzing Clostridium botulinum bug was expressed through genetically modified corn. DANGER! DANGER! Botulism kills! It wasn’t the most fast-paced thrilling CSI episode ever, but it was great reminder to wonder where your food comes from.
Now, back to real studying. And a safely packaged snack.
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