And if the business sense was related to a parasite present in the body?

Science – Health

Business success, daring, and risk appetite may be related to the presence of the toxoplasmosis parasite in the body, suggests a study published in British journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The name of the culprit? The protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that spreads mainly through the consumption of undercooked meat or water that has been in contact with soils contaminated with cat excrement.

Touching more than two billion people, this parasite could have the faculty, through the hormonal and neurological changes inherent in its presence in the body, to amplify "impulsiveness", "ambition" and "the search for material goods", "characteristics badociated with entrepreneurial activity ", says the study, conducted by researchers from English universities (Leeds), American (Boulder), German (Frankfurt), Spanish (Bilbao), Norwegian (Bodo) and Hong Kong.

Analyzing the results of salivary tests conducted on nearly 1,500 American students, researchers found that protozoan carriers were "1.7 times" more inclined to show an interest in entrepreneurship and management. [19659003] Other tests conducted with professionals attending business meetings have shown that people who are positive for Toxoplasma gondii are more likely to have started their own business.

By synthesizing data from In 42 countries, researchers also found that the prevalence of infection was an indicator of "entrepreneurial activity and intentions". The "fear of failure" also seems weakest where the parasite is most present, they say.

These results highlight a "link between parasite infection and complex human behavior, including (…) entrepreneurship and economic productivity. "

The researchers point out that other studies have previously highlighted the ability of the parasite to modify the behavior of non-human hosts to be able to reproduce

Toxoplasma gondii in fact infects many species but can only reproduce in felines and thus cause its hosts to adopt risky behaviors, for example by making the chimpanzee's scent attractive. Leopard urine, their natural predator, a hypothesis explored in 2016 by researchers at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS)