A study suggests that a common parasite makes people more attractive so that they'll have sex and spread it, and scientists are baffled.
may be manipulating its hosts to make them more attractive to others. If true, it means there may be a parasite out there that makes people more attractive to fuel its spread to new hosts through sexual activity.Image source: Kateryna_Kon / Adobe
This allowed the parasite to move on to its optimal host. Once it has reached that optimal host, though, the parasite can then reproduce sexually. What’s most terrifying about how this parasite works is that the manipulation doesn’t stop there. Instead, similar manipulations have been seen in chimpanzees, hyenas, and humans, too. If the parasite can make people more attractive, it could spread more easily.
had higher facial symmetry than non-infected males. Additionally, women infected with the parasite had lower body mass index and lower body mass. They also had higher self-perceptions of attractiveness. As such, it appears this parasite may make people more attractive to spread.
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