A parasite transmitted by the cat can favor the taste of the business

Infection with the toxoplasmosis agent, Toxoplasma gondii, may increase a person's chances of pursuing entrepreneurial and commercial activities. This increased business acumen is linked to the parasite's ability to amplify traits such as impulsiveness and ambition.

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The toxoplasmosis is due to a parasite (Toxoplasma gondii) present in the earth, and therefore on plants or in meat. One can be contaminated if one consumes poorly washed or undercooked foods. At the beginning of the pregnancy, a blood test indicates if the pregnant woman already had it and if it is the case, it is immunized. If this is not the case, regular blood tests will be prescribed to verify that there is no infection. While toxoplasmosis remains mostly benign and asymptomatic (80% of cases), it can cause sometimes serious complications in patients suffering from immunosuppression and fetuses of pregnant women who have not been in contact Before the pregnancy

"During a contamination, the parasite remains in the body (mainly in the nervous tissue and muscles) for years. However, it does not cause any symptoms, because the immune system of the infected person keeps it in an inactive form, "says Medicare on the subject. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered an effect so far little known, namely a change in the behavior of the infected person. The infection could indeed increase the probability that the patient develops a "business sense" related to a more important risk taste t, and be more attracted to a career with entrepreneurial-type activities

The cat, a definitive host for the parasite

The researchers conducted their study with 1,495 students and found that parasite-positive individuals were 1.4 times more likely to do business and 1.7 times more likely to pursue a career in entrepreneurship and management . In another poll of 197 professionals participating in entrepreneurship events, those infected were 1.8 times more likely to have started their business. The researchers also compiled national statistics from 42 countries over the past 25 years and found that prevalence of infection (9% in Norway, 60% in Brazil) was a positive predictor of infection.

This is not the first time that the ability of the parasite to cause altered behavior is evoked, but this phenomenon was discovered in animals. Indeed, before contaminating the human being, the parasite T. gondii reaches animals called hosts, whose final hosts are the felines, and in particular the cats . Scientific work has shown that since the parasite needs a cat to reproduce, it promotes risky behavior in other host animals that will make them more likely to be eaten by a cat. A CNRS study pointed out that infected chimpanzees are subsequently attracted to the urine of their natural predator, the leopard.

The fear of failure is reduced

This new study "highlights the a hidden, under-explored role that transmissible microbes could play in human decision-making and large-scale cultural behavior, "explain the researchers. "As human beings, we like to think that we control our actions. But emerging research shows that the microorganisms we encounter in our daily lives have the potential to influence their hosts significantly. The latter evoke another example, that of the human intestinal microbiota which contains bacteria related to the functions of mood, diet and the immune system

In the case of parasite T. gondii to be a carrier could push individuals towards a higher risk of risk and therefore to a fear of reduced failure, as well as towards the more important search for so-called "reward" activities. But that does not mean that all these companies will work or that the infection deserves credit or blame for any individual outcome, according to the researchers. "We can see the badociation in terms of the number of companies and the intentions of the participants, but we do not know if companies created by individuals positive at T.gondii are more likely to succeed or fail in the long run, "says Stefanie K. Johnson, lead author of the study.

This adds:" New businesses have high failure rates, so fear of failure is quite rational, T.gondii could simply reduce this rational fear. The researchers conclude that individuals predisposed to high-risk behavior were more likely to be entrepreneurial and to be exposed to T. gondii by contact with animals. According to Medicare, nearly 45% of adults in France have been infected during childhood or adolescence. "Each year, 200 000 to 300 000 new cases are diagnosed (mainly in Île-de-France, in Aquitaine and in the Overseas Departments)," she says.