Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. More than 60 million people in the U.S. have the parasite. Most of them don't get sick. But the parasite causes serious problems for some people. These include people with weak immune systems and babies whose mothers become infected for the first time during pregnancy. Problems can include damage to the brain, eyes and other organs.

You can get toxoplasmosis from

• Waste from an infected cat
• Eating contaminated meat that is raw or not well cooked
• Using utensils or cutting boards after they've had contact with raw meat
• Drinking infected water
• Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion

Most people with toxoplasmosis don't need treatment. There are drugs to treat it for pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Toxoplasmosis on Wikipedia

'''Toxoplasmosis''' is a parasitic disease caused by the parasite ''Toxoplasma gondii''. It infects most animals and causes human parasitic diseasess, but the primary host is the felid (Cat family). People usually get infected by eating raw or undercooked meat, or more rarely, by contact with cat faeces. Congenital toxoplasmosis is a special form in which an unborn child is infected via the placenta. The danger of congenital toxoplasmosis is the reason that pregnant women should avoid contact with cat faeces. Direct infection from handling cats is thought to be rarer. At least one third of the world population may have contracted a toxoplasmosis infection in their lifetime, after the acute infection has passed the parasite rarely causes any symptoms in otherwise healthy adults. However, people with a weakened immune system are particularly susceptible, such as people infected with HIV. The parasite can cause encephalitis (infection of the brain) and neurologic diseases and can affect the heart, liver, and eyes (chorioretinitis). Treatment is very important for recently infected pregnancy women, to prevent infection of the fetus. Since a baby's immune system does not develop fully for the first year of life, and the resilient cysts that form throughout the body are very difficult to eradicate with antibiotics, an infection can be very serious in the very young.

Transmission

External Resources

HIV/AIDS Brochures at the CDC - CDC-Opportunistic Infection Series, covering Cryptosporidiosis, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Toxoplasmosis, Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia (PCP), and opportunistic infections from handling pets or other animals.

Toxoplasmosis - Comprehensive information about Toxoplasma gondii and AIDS-related conditions, from The Body.

Cat Fanciers' Association: Health Committee - Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy - Addresses the concerns of pregnant cat owners about the disease.

Congenital Toxoplasmosis - Includes symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of this protozoal disease.

Toxoplasmosis - Protozoan parasitic disease transmissible from animals to people. Includes transmission routes, dangers to people, prevention, and symptoms in cats.

CDC Division of Parasitic Diseases : Toxoplasmosis - Features symptoms, fact sheet, laboratory tests, and articles.

Medlineplus: Toxoplasmosis - Includes articles and links.

Kidshealth: Toxoplasmosis - Focus is on the disease in children. Features signs, sypmtoms, prevention, and treatment.

eMedicine: Toxoplasmosis - Article by Joseph Sciammarella, MD, FACP, FACEP, DABMA.

Medlineplus Medical Encyclopedia: Toxoplasmosis - Features symptoms, prevention, treatment, illustrations, and prognosis.

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