Toxoplasmosis, but not borreliosis, is associated with psychiatric disorders: A cross-sectional survey on 46 thousand of subjects

Abstract

Infection by the parasite Toxoplasma, which affects about 33% of world population, is associated with increased risk of several mental health disorders, the most strongly with schizophrenia. It is unknown whether toxoplasmosis really plays a substantial role in the etiopathogenesis of these disorders and whether schizophrenia is associated with this infection the most strongly, or whether this association has just been the most intensively studied for historical reasons. We used the data from 3,440 and 7,800 subjects tested for toxoplasmosis and borreliosis, respectively, who took part in an internet survey, for searching in the associations of these infections with 22 mental health disorders and other indices of impaired mental health. The typical symptom associated with toxoplasmosis was anxiety, and the typical toxoplasmosis-associated disorders were autism (OR=4.86), schizophrenia (OR=3.34), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (OR=3.02), Asperger syndrome (OR=2.49), antisocial personality disorder (OR=1.81), OCD (OR=1.69), and anxiety disorder (OR=1.57). Borreliosis was associated only with symptoms of depression and with major depression (OR=1.65). The negative effects of borreliosis were detectable only in the Toxoplasma-infected subjects. Toxoplasmosis could play a substantial role in the etiopathogenesis of mental health disorders and its association with schizophrenia is the second strongest association, after autism.