There are three main types of parasites that can affect humans: protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites. These parasites can live on or in the human body and cause various diseases. These parasites are often the result of consuming contaminated foods or water, though insects and other animals can also carry parasites.
Some parasites alter host behavior by infecting neurons in the host’s central nervous system. The host’s central nervous system responds to the parasite as it would to any other infection. The hallmarks of such response include local inflammation and the release of chemicals such as cytokines. The immune response itself is responsible for induced behavioral changes in many cases of parasitic infection.
These tiny parasites have more power than many might guess.
