copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2023-12-22): Infection with cat parasite Toxoplasma may drive 'inflammation aging' in older adults [...] Infection with T. gondii triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to fight off the infection, called toxoplasmosis. Most people, except those who have weakened immune systems or are pregnant, can easily control toxoplasmosis and subsequently don't develop any symptoms. In fact, more than 40 million adults in the U.S. are estimated to be infected with T. gondii, though the vast majority don't know it. However, the parasite often remains in the body — for example, as slow-growing cysts in muscle and brain tissues that trigger low levels of chronic immune activation and the upregulation of pro-inflammatory molecules called cytokines.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2013-09-18): Schizophrenia is thought to involve excess activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. This has bolstered one possible explanation for Toxoplasma’s behavioural effect: the parasite establishes persistent infections by means of microscopic cysts that grow slowly in brain cells. It can increase those cells’ production of dopamine, which could significantly alter their function. Most other suggested mechanisms also rely on the presence of cysts.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-06-13): FULL CLAIM: "It’s the cat parasite [...] Once it's in the body it's called toxoplasmosis, and this parasite is so intelligent [...] they send signals to the nervous system to different parts of the impulse control to release ghrelin hormone, or hunger hormone, that starve you of glucose, so you're just craving sugar and craving sweets. This then leads to depression, highs and lows, irregular heartbeat, muscle twitching, brittle hair, dry skin, psoriasis, unregulated sleep cycles" [...] A Facebook reel shared on 6 June 2024 claimed that a so-called "cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis. It also claimed that toxoplasmosis leads to an increased release of the ghrelin hormone (commonly known as the "hunger hormone"), which in turn leads a host of other health issues including "depression, highs and lows, irregular heartbeat, muscle twitching, brittle hair, dry skin, psoriasis, [and] unregulated sleep cycles". [...] The "cat parasite" claim has received media attention in the past, primarily addressing the potential link between T. gondii, mental illness, and risk-taking behavior. However, there is no apparent evidence for an association between toxoplasmosis and an increase in the ghrelin hormone. We explain below.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-01-01): Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). It is one of the most common parasitic diseases and infects nearly all warm-blooded animals, including pets and humans. Although cats are a necessary part of the life cycle of T. gondii, the parasite rarely causes clinical disease in them. While T. gondii seldomly causes significant symptoms in healthy adults either (see below for exceptions), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently identified toxoplasmosis as one of five neglected parasitic infections of people due to its high prevalence. More than 60 million people in the U.S. are thought to be infected. [...] The most common symptoms of toxoplasmosis include fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Other symptoms may occur depending upon whether the infection is acute or chronic, and the location of the parasite in the body. In the lungs, T. gondii infection can lead to pneumonia, which will cause difficulty breathing that gradually worsens. Infections affecting the liver may cause a yellowish tinge to the skin and mucous membranes (jaundice). Toxoplasmosis can also affect the eyes and central nervous system (CNS), producing inflammation of the uvea, or pigmented part of the eye (uveitis), the retina, or the space between the lens and cornea (the anterior chamber) (Figure 2), abnormal pupil size and responsiveness to light, blindness, lack of coordination, heightened sensitivity to touch, personality changes, circling, head pressing, ear twitching, difficulty chewing and swallowing food, seizures, and loss of control over urination and defecation.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2023-11-30): Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasitic infection in cats but is often asymptomatic, although acute or disseminated infections may affect the eyes, brain or other systems, with clindamycin being the preferred treatment. Conclusive diagnosis requires either IgM or paired IgG titer serology. As a zoonotic disease, toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous for pregnant or immunocompromised individuals, but cat ownership is not a significant risk for human infection; rather, ingestion of oocyst-contaminated food or water, or tissue cysts in undercooked meat, are a much more real threat. Fecal contamination of soil and water also presents a serious health risk. Simple hygiene strategies can prevent transmission of T. gondii and, for cat owners, keeping their pets indoors (if possible) and daily cleaning of the litter box greatly mitigates the zoonotic risk.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-10-09): Toxoplasmosis: How a cat parasite exploits immune cells to reach the brain - Date: [...] The infection toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and is widely spread. It's estimated that 30-50 per cent of the global human population are carriers. Cats are the parasites' main host, but the infection is also spread among other animals, including humans. A series of studies have previously shown that the parasite affects the brain of infected rats so that they lose fear of cats and even become attracted to cats' smell, making them an easy prey. This is how the parasite is spread onward, by ensuring that the rat is eaten by a cat. Toxoplasmosis is life-threatening to people with impaired immune systems and to unborn fetuses, but causes only mild symptoms in healthy individuals. However, there are studies showing that mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorder are more common in people who are carriers of Toxoplasma gondii. There are also studies indicating that the parasite may affect aggressive or risky behavior. Researchers at Stockholm University have now been able to show how the parasite takes control and force immune cells around the body to spread it, eventually reaching the brain. When we become infected with Toxoplasma, for example by eating insufficiently cooked meat or by contact with cat feces, the parasite ends up in the stomach. It then passes through the intestinal wall and is met by immune cells that would normally kill it. Instead, immune cells become "Trojan horses." By secreting the substance GABA, they can spread the infection into the body.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2018-02-23): Most people know toxoplasma gondii as the "cat parasite", usually passed to humans through contact with infected cat poo – like when you clean out the cat tray and forget to wash your hands. But it can also be transmitted via contaminated or undercooked meat, or from handling soil that has come into contact with infected cat poo or infected dead animals. [...] But for those with compromised immune systems, such as people with AIDs or cancer, the parasite can cause a disease called toxoplasmosis. When the toxoplasma "wakes up" from its dormant stage, which happens in those with weakened immune systems, it can cause stroke and death – and in infants it can cause severe brain damage. This is because the active parasite replicates inside cells in the brain until these cells "break". Toxoplasmosis is particularly dangerous to unborn babies if the mother gets infected for the first time during pregnancy and can cause miscarriage and birth defects.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2023-04-17): Toxoplasmosis is a condition that develops following infection with the microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite can affect all mammals, but cats particularly are important in the lifecycle and transmission of this parasite. [...] The parasite has a global distribution and is more common in tropical climates. Overall, it’s estimated that around 50% of the cats in the world have been infected by Toxoplasmosis at some stage in their lives. However, most cats show no detectable outward sign of Toxoplasma infection, so owners are unlikely to be aware that this has happened. [...] Toxoplasmosis is a complex microscopic parasite that rarely can cause serious disease in cats and humans.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-04-24): Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). This common parasitic disease can affect various warm-blooded animals, including humans. The parasite is microscopic and can be found in soil, undercooked meat, water, and other environments. [...] Prevention of Toxoplasmosis in Cats - Feed cats commercially prepared, cooked foods. - Prevent cat access to infected prey or raw meat. - Keep cats out of livestock and food storage areas. - Cover sand pits when not in use to discourage littering. - Maintain a clean litter box, minimising parasite viability.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-06-13): Toxoplasmosis is caused by an infection with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is most commonly found in contaminated food (especially raw and undercooked meat), but it can also be found in cat feces. Most T. gondii infections in people with healthy immune systems are asymptomatic and resolve on their own within a few weeks or months. Ghrelin is a hormone produced by the stomach and often called the "hunger hormone". There is currently no evidence supporting an association between toxoplasmosis and increased ghrelin hormone levels. [...] A Facebook reel shared on 6 June 2024 claimed that a so-called "cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis. It also claimed that toxoplasmosis leads to an increased release of the ghrelin hormone (commonly known as the "hunger hormone"), which in turn leads a host of other health issues including "depression, highs and lows, irregular heartbeat, muscle twitching, brittle hair, dry skin, psoriasis, [and] unregulated sleep cycles". [...] The "cat parasite" claim has received media attention in the past, primarily addressing the potential link between T. gondii, mental illness, and risk-taking behavior. However, there is no apparent evidence for an association between toxoplasmosis and an increase in the ghrelin hormone. We explain below.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-09-19): Partially correct Health Posted on: 2024-06-13 Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis to humans, but no evidence links toxoplasmosis to increased "hunger hormone" ghrelin Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels Source: YouTube, Facebook, Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2023-12-13): - Toxoplasmosis: An infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite can be found in cat feces and contaminated food.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2018-06-25): To investigate the incidence of toxoplasmosis in patients with lymphoid hyperplasia of the head and neck. In this study, 53 patients (32 males, 21 females; mean age 11.2+/-4.3 years, range 5 to 22) were investigated. There were hypertrophic tonsillitis in 13 patients, hypertrophic tonsillitis and adenoid hyperplasia in 22 patients, adenoid hyperplasia in 10 patients, and lymphadenopathy of the neck in eight patients. In venous blood samples, IgM and IgG antibodies for Toxoplasma gondii were investigated with the enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (Axsym, Abbott). Positive IgG was determined in 23 patients (48%) with hypertrophic tonsillitis (n=6), hypertrophic tonsillitis and adenoid hyperplasia (n=10), adenoid hyperplasia (n=3), and lymphadenopathy of the neck (n=4). Positive IgM was determined in 5 patients (9.4%) with hypertrophic tonsillitis (n=1), hypertrophic tonsillitis and adenoid hyperplasia (n=1), and lymphadenopathy of the neck (n=3). Toxoplasmosis, which is known to cause lymphadenopathy, may be a reason for lymphadenopathy of the neck. Toxoplasmosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of untreated patients with tonsillitis, adenoid hyperplasia, and chronic neck lymphadenopathy.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-01-01): Ghrelin promotes pancreatic adenocarcinoma cellular proliferation and invasiveness
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2021-01-31): The parasite does not usually cause much damage to immunocompetent hosts; however, it has been associated with cognitive impairments, emotional disturbances, and schizophrenia (8). Recent studies have shown that the transmission of T. gondii is also facilitated by the ability to modify its host’s behavior (9-11). According to the manipulation hypothesis, specific parasites can change host behavior for their own benefit (1). Toxoplasma gondii-infected rats and mice had a less innate fear of the odor of cat urine; this effect is useful for the parasite (1). The mechanisms for these changes have not been clearly identified to date; however, there is evidence that toxoplasmosis increases dopamine levels in the amygdala in the brain of infected mice by genes encoding the tyrosine hydroxylase enzyme production (12). It is noticeable that the hippocampus and amygdala are structures in the brain associated with natural defense behaviors and emotion processing (13). [...] Zareian P, Mirzaii Dizgah I, Saddel M, Khodabandehloo F. Effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on anxiety, depression and ghrelin level in male rats. J Parasit Dis. 2016;40(3):688-93. [PubMed ID: 27605768]. [PubMed Central ID: PMC4996174]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-014-0561-0.
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2024-08-15): Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis to humans, but no evidence links toxoplasmosis to increased "hunger hormone" ghrelin
Claim: "Cat parasite" causes toxoplasmosis; toxoplasmosis increases ghrelin hormone levels (Chervin Jafarieh, Social media user, 2024-06-06)
Evidence (2021-10-12): Similar to Braak’s hypothesis for Parkinson’s disease where an external pathogen would cause neuroinflammation [described earlier in the text (Braak et al., 2003)], pathogen-induced inflammation might also play a role in Alzheimer’s disease (Wyss-Coray and Rogers, 2012; Cappellano et al., 2013); for example T. gondii, which is an obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan (phylum Apicomplexa) that uses a variety of mammals as intermediate hosts (including humans), with the cat as the final one, causes the infectious disease toxoplasmosis (da Silva and Langoni, 2009). It has been described that it can induce immune response in the host and inflammation in the CNS, alteration in the levels of neurotransmitters, and direct infections of neuronal and astrocytic cells (in rat primary cell culture) (Luder et al., 1999). For these reasons, T. gondii can be considered a possible etiologic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (Nayeri et al., 2021).
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2024-03-27): According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. In 2022, there were approximately 660,000 new cases of cervical cancer and around 350,000 deaths from cervical cancer. Infection by the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. HPV vaccination can help prevent infection with high-risk HPV types, thereby reducing the risk of cervical cancer.
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2018-05-29): None of the studies have followed up participants for long enough to detect an effect on cervical cancer. The researchers looked at precancer cervical lesions instead. They found that in young women who did not carry HPV, vaccination reduced the risk of developing precancer. About 164 per 10,000 women who got placebo and 2 per 10,000 women who got the vaccine went on to develop cervical precancer. The researchers also looked at data from all enrolled women regardless whether they were free of high-risk HPV at vaccination or not. Among women aged 15 to 26 years, vaccines reduced the risk of cervical precancer associated with HPV16/18 from 341 to 157 per 10,000. HPV vaccination reduced also the risk for any precancer lesions from 559 to 391 per 10,000. [...] She added: "Cervical cancer can take many years to develop following HPV infection and development of precancer lesions, therefore long-term follow-up studies are needed to find out the effects of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer rates.
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2021-09-28): Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are a group of sexually transmitted infections, some of which can increase the risk of cervical, anal, penile, vaginal, vulvar, and oropharyngeal cancers. Vaccines against HPV became available in 2006, and as the first adolescents who received the vaccine age, the incidence of these cancers is expected to decrease. Some experts believe that cervical cancer, which is associated with HPV in more than 90 percent of cases, could be virtually eliminated in the coming decades. [...] A recent study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention investigated how the cervical cancer elimination timeline might differ between high-poverty and low-poverty communities. As the first adolescents who received the HPV vaccine are only beginning to enter the age range where cervical cancer is prominent, researchers have relied on statistical modeling to predict how vaccination will impact cervical cancer incidence in the coming years. In this study, Jennifer Spencer, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin, who performed this work as a research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, and her colleagues assembled a series of models based on current data from counties in the highest and lowest quartile of poverty in the U.S.
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2024-01-20): Thanks to early detection and treatment, rates of cervical cancer have plummeted by more than half over the past 50 years. Rates are falling fastest among women in their early 20s, the first generation to benefit from HPV vaccines, which were approved in 2006. HPV, the human papillomavirus, causes six types of cancer, including cervical cancer. [...] Others say the increase in cervical cancer rates among 30- and 40-something women isn’t so easily explained.
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2024-10-09): How HPV vaccines and new screening methods could help eliminate cervical cancer [...] Current HPV vaccines target high-risk forms of the virus – including the HPV-16 and HPV-18 strains, which cause 70% of cervical cancers. Newer vaccines are being introduced that protect against further strains, but even these will not protect against every cancer-associated type of HPV, so cervical cancer screening continues to be recommended for young women who have been vaccinated. Screening is even more important for women who have not had the opportunity to be protected from HPV through vaccination, and still face the risk of developing cervical cancer during their most productive years. Here, "screening and treatment of precancerous lesions can prevent them from developing a debilitating, painful and often fatal cancer," says Emily Kobayashi, Head of the HPV Vaccines Programme at Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2024-06-12): The HPV Vaccine Reduces Risk of Cancer for All, not just Women, New Data Show One of the big headlines from a major scientific meeting recently: The HPV vaccine not only prevents cervical cancer but reduces the risk of multiple other cancers and even pre-malignant lesions. [...] It was already known that the HPV vaccine can potentially prevent more than 90 percent of HPV-related cancers in women — most often cervical cancer — and now scientists discovered a 50-percent risk reduction in all HPV-associated cancers in men, including head and neck cancers.
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2024-05-17): Falcaro, M. et al. The effects of the national HPV vaccination programme in England, UK, on cervical cancer and grade 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia incidence: a register-based observational study. Lancet398, 2084–2092 (2021). [...] Lei, J. et al. HPV vaccination and the risk of invasive cervical cancer. N. Engl. J. Med.383, 1340–1348 (2020). [...] Hildesheim, A. et al. HPV co-factors related to the development of cervical cancer: results from a population-based study in Costa Rica. Br. J. Cancer84, 1219–1226 (2001).
Claim: HPV vaccine increases the risk of developing cervical cancer (Pierre Kory, 2024-03-27)
Evidence (2024-10-07): Cervical cancer elimination is achievable with comprehensive strategies, including HPV vaccination, screening and treatment, addressing global disparities. [...] The World Health Organization’s (WHO) cervical cancer elimination strategy outlines a comprehensive approach to meeting the ambitious 90:70:90 targets by 2030. This strategy involves an increase of HPV vaccination to 90%, twice-lifetime cervical screening to 70% and treatment of pre-invasive lesions and invasive cancer to 90%. [...] Differences in funding and attention between HPV vaccination and other targets – such as screening and treatment – highlight the need for equitable prioritization and a comprehensive approach to cervical cancer elimination.