Can a microorganism change the behavior of an animal?

[ORF]

Hello.

Can a microorganism change behavior of an animal? ( including humans).

Thank you for your time.

Regards,
ORF

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Absolutely it can. There are parasitical fungi that makes ants climb to the top of grass to increase their chance of getting eaten (continuing the fungi life cycle)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis

In humans neurosyphilis can cause cognitive disorders and behavioural changes
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4636106/

 

[Bandersnatch]

And my favourite (mostly due to how well it lends itself to conspiratorial thinking about our feline overlords ):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasma_gondii

 

[rootone]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies

 

[jim mcnamara]

My favorite: A parasite infects pillbugs (roly poly bugs) that want to hide under rocks and leaves but the parasite alters behavior and they go out from under rocks and leaves - to become easy prey for starlings and robins. Where the parasite completes its life cycle - inside the bird.

Parasite du jour:
http://dailyparasite.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-21-plagiorhynchus-cylindraceus.html

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

When Gut Bacteria Change Brain Function
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/06/gut-bacteria-on-the-brain/395918/

Many actual studies and papers are linked

 

[Dr Aaron]

A significant case of Salmonella, gonococcus, HIV, or Staph will certainly change a human's behavior!

 

[Flatland]

Or the fungus that basically turn ants into zombies.

https://www.seeker.com/deadly-fungus-turns-ants-into-zombies-1765184965.html

 

[quarkle]

I came upon this interesting article just today:
https://www.quantamagazine.org/can-microbes-encourage-altruism-20170629/

The study in question:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5241693/

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Here is a rather new study on plants
Induced defences in plants reduce herbivory by increasing cannibalism

 

[berkeman]

Here is a rather new study on plants
Induced defences in plants reduce herbivory by increasing cannibalism

That's crazy! Amazing roundabout defenses...

 

[brainierthaneinstein]

A rather obvious example is any bug which makes people cough or sneeze

 

[krater]

I came upon this interesting article just today:
https://www.quantamagazine.org/can-microbes-encourage-altruism-20170629/

Explored in fiction, here's a nice example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giving_Plague

 

[rootone]

"Acquired Lavish Altruism Syndrome"
What a way to go!
I think it's still not legal in most countries though,