"In humans, T. gondii is one of the most common parasites in developed countries;[7][8] serological studies estimate that 30–50% of the global population has been exposed to and may be chronically infected with T. gondii, although infection rates differ significantly from country to country.[9][10] For example, estimates have shown the highest prevalence of persons infected to be in France, at 84%, as at 2000."
"T. gondii has been shown to alter the behavior of infected rodents in ways that increase the rodents' chances of being preyed upon by felids.[11][15][16] Support for this "manipulation hypothesis" stems from studies showing T. gondii-infected rats have a decreased aversion to cat urine.[11] Because cats are the only hosts within which T. gondii can sexually reproduce to complete and begin its lifecycle, such behavioral manipulations are thought to be evolutionary adaptations that increase the parasite's reproductive success.[11] The rats would not shy away from areas where cats live and would also be less able to escape should a cat try to prey on them."
"A number of studies have suggested that subtle behavioral or personality changes may occur in infected humans,[22] and infection with the parasite has recently been associated with a number of neurological disorders, particularly schizophrenia[16] and bipolar disorder.[23][24] A 2015 study also found cognitive deficits in adults to be associated with joint infection by both T. gondii and Helicobacter pylori in a regression model with controls for race-ethnicity and educational attainment.[25] Although a causal relationship between latent toxoplasmosis with these neurological phenomena has not yet been established,[9][16] preliminary evidence suggests that T. gondii infection may induce some of the same alterations in the human brain as those observed in mice."
I wonder if humans domestication of the cat was encouraged by humans getting infected by Toxoplasma gondii?
Cats don't seem to have been domesticated in the same way as other animals. We seem to have not applied much of a selection pressure on making them more useful for us, unlike what we did to dogs1