Rare brain cancer believed to be linked to undercooked meat
About 80 percent of malignant brain tumours are gliomas, and this could be contracted from contaminated water or undercooked meat.
January 14, 2021 10:31 GMT
Scientists discovered how a foodborne pathogen from contaminated water or undercooked meat may be linked to a rare type of brain cancer.
Researchers discovered that people who have glioma have a higher chance of having antibodies against a certain type of bacteria called toxoplasma gondii as compared to those who do not have cancer. This gives an indication that the patients have previously been infected with a parasite believed to have come from undercooked meat.
Toxoplasma gondii Linked to Brain Tumor
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January 13, 2021
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Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite
Toxoplasma gondii, one of the world’s most common parasites. Infection usually occurs by eating undercooked contaminated meat, exposure from infected cat feces, or mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy. In the United States, it is estimated that 11% of the population six years and older have been infected with Toxoplasma. The parasite has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and cancer. Now a new study suggests a link between the parasite infection and the risk of glioma, a type of brain tumor.
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A new study recently suggested that the parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which duplicates in cats and most frequently spreads through humans by means of raw meat, may increase the danger of having brain cancer in humans.
According to a Live Science report, this said finding now serves as another reason for people to cook meat and take care around cat litter.
In their work, the study authors found a relationship between the presence of T. gondii antibodies in the blood of people, specifying past exposure to the parasite, as well as the development of glioma, the most typical brain cancer type, after several years.
Exposure To Common Parasite In Undercooked Meat Linked To Brain Cancer Risk: Study
KEY POINTS
The parasite is also found in undercooked meat
Glioma can be fatal but it is still considered a rare cancer
Can a parasite lead to brain cancer? The researchers of a new study found evidence that people with antibodies for a parasite commonly found in undercooked meat could be more likely to develop a fatal type of
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a common parasite that can infect most warm-blooded species including humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (
CDC) said. According to the researchers of a new study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, these parasites can also lead to the formation of cysts in the brain.