A new study has found that people with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED) - characterised by explosive bouts of rage - are twice as likely to have been infected by a parasite found in cat faeces.

最新研究发现，间歇爆发性精神障碍（IED）患者（以突发性情绪激动为主要症状）曾经受猫排泄物中寄生虫感染的几率是其他人的两倍。

The findings suggest that toxoplasmosis, an infection from the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, may alter people's brain chemistry to cause long-term behavior problems.

Cats are known to pass the parasite on to human by shedding its eggs in their faeces. People can become infected by not washing their hands after cleaning a cat's litter tray, and then unintentionally ingesting the eggs.

Around a third of people in the UK will become infected at some point in their lives - with cat owners at particularly high risk.

Toxoplasmosis has also been linked with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, impulsivity and suicidal behavior in earlier studies.

The new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, looked at 358 adult participants. Researcher found that 22 percent of the people with IED tested positive for toxoplasmosis exposure, compared with only 9 percent of those without IED.

"Not everyone that tests positive for toxoplasmosis will have aggression issues," said research leader Dr. Emil Coccaro of the University of Chicago. However, exposure to the parasite does appear to "raise the risk for aggressive behavior."