Putting a finger on the switch of chronic parasite infection
(WorldNews Health)

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a parasite that chronically infects up to a quarter of the world`s population, causing toxoplasmosis, a disease that can be dangerous, or even deadly, for the immunocompromised and for developing fetuses. One reason that T. gondii is so pervasive is that the parasites are tenacious occupants once they have infected a host. They can transition from an acute infection stage into a quiescent life cycle stage and effectively barricade themselves inside of their host`s cells. In this protected state, they become impossible to eliminate, leading to long-term infection. Researchers used to think that a combination of genes were involved in triggering the parasite`s...