A common parasitic disease called toxoplasmosis might alter a person’s political beliefs

Infection from the common parasite Toxoplasma tends to produce few apparent symptoms. But a new study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology suggests that the disease can spur changes in a person’s political beliefs and values, most likely through an inflammatory reaction. Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and is one of the most prevalent parasitic diseases in the world. Infections can spur from situations like consuming uncooked, contaminated meat or cleaning the litter box of an infected cat. The disease most often produces no obvious symptoms in humans but ...