Question

What parasite causes toxoplasmosis? How is the disease transmitted and what are its typical manifestations?

Answer 1

The organism responsible fo the disease is a single celled, obligate intracellular parasite called Toxoplasma gondi.

It is a food and water borne disease and thus the transmission is usually through:

1) contaminated food and water

2) ingesting undercooked meat

3) transmission through cat feces

4) ingestion of unpasteurize milk

5) mother to child transmission

6) organ transplantation

Symptoms:

Infection mostly with Toxoplasma gondi produces no obvious symptoms but in the first few days of the infection cycle, flu-like symptoms may develop and maybe easily overlooked; this can be referred to as acute manifestation whereas in sever cases, the parasite cause damage to the brain, eyes and other organs. In the latent phase, the parasite may persist in brain, heart etc as cyst and may stay in the same form throughout the lifetime of the host.Major and common manifestation of the disease is occular toxoplasmosis which may result in reduced vision, pain, redness in the eye, and sometimes tearing and scratching of the cornea.