Toxoplasmosis - is a parasitic disease

 

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan.^[3] Infections with toxoplasmosis usually cause no obvious symptoms in adults.^[2] Occasionally, people may have a few weeks or months of mild, flu-like illness such as muscle aches and tender lymph nodes.^[1] In a small number of people, eye problems may develop.^[1] In those with a weak immune system, severe symptoms such as seizures and poor coordination may occur.^[1] If a woman becomes infected during pregnancy, a condition known as congenital toxoplasmosis may affect the child.^[1]

Toxoplasmosis is usually spread by eating poorly cooked food that contains cysts, exposure to infected cat feces, and from an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy.^[3] Rarely, the disease may be spread by blood transfusion.^[3] It is not otherwise spread between people.^[3] The parasite is known to reproduce sexually only in the cat family.^[8] However, it can infect most types of warm-blooded animals, including humans.^[8] Diagnosis is typically by testing blood for antibodies or by testing the amniotic fluid in pregnant women for the parasite's DNA.^[4]

Prevention is by properly preparing and cooking food.^[9] Pregnant women are also recommended not to clean cat litter boxes or, if they must, to wear gloves and wash their hands afterwards.^[9] Treatment of otherwise healthy people is usually not needed.^[5] During pregnancy, spiramycin or pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine and folinic acid may be used for treatment.^[5]

Up to half of the world's population is infected by toxoplasmosis, but have no symptoms.^[7] In the United States, approximately 11% of people are infected, while in some areas of the world this is more than 60%.^[3] Approximately 200,000 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis occur a year.^[6] Charles Nicolle and Louis Manceaux first described the organism in 1908.^[10] In 1941, transmission during pregnancy from a mother to a baby was confirmed.^[10] There is tentative evidence that infection may affect people's behavior.^[11]

T. gondii tachyzoites
Specialty	Infectious disease
Symptoms	Often none, during pregnancy (birth defects)[1][2]
Causes	Toxoplasma gondii[3]
Risk factors	Eating poorly cooked food, exposure to infected cat feces[3]
Diagnostic method	Blood test, amniotic fluid test[4]
Treatment	During pregnancy spiramycin or pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine and folinic acid[5]
Frequency	Up to 50% of people, 200,000 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis a year[6][7]

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxoplasmosis