What is toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. You can find it in the intestines of some animals, including cats and pigs.

The infection can cause cysts to form in the body, usually in the brain and muscles, including the heart. But if your immune system is healthy, this is unlikely to cause you any problems. You can have toxoplasmosis and not know it.

It is more likely to cause problems in people whose immune systems are not fully developed due to a disease such as HIV or certain types of cancer or cancer treatments. It can also be harmful to babies as they develop in the womb - a pregnant woman can pass it on to her baby. This can cause brain or eye problems.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in children

Babies can get toxoplasmosis if the mother was infected just before or during pregnancy, even if they don't show signs of the disease. Many early infections end in stillbirth or miscarriage. If the baby survives, he may have serious problems, such as:

Seizures
Enlarged liver or spleen
Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
Serious eye infections

Often children with toxoplasmosis have no symptoms at birth. Symptoms (such as hearing loss, mental retardation, or serious eye infections) appear during adolescence.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in older children and adults

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis can feel a lot like the flu. They include:
Headaches
Body aches
Fever
Feeling more tired than usual

If your immune system is not working properly due to another health issue, you may also experience more severe symptoms such as:

Confusion
Lack of coordination
Seizures
Trouble breathing
Blurred vision

Causes and risk factors for toxoplasmosis

You may come into contact with the parasite if you:

Clean out a cat’s litter box or touch anything that has touched infected cat feces
Touch your mouth after gardening and accidently ingest parasites
Drink water that has parasites in it
Eat raw or undercooked meat, especially lamb, pork, or venison
Use utensils that have been contaminated by raw meat
Eat unwashed fruits or vegetables

You can also be exposed to it if you are an organ donor or have had a blood transfusion.

Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis

If you have signs of toxoplasmosis, see your doctor. You can also talk to them if you want to get pregnant or if you have health issues that affect your immune system.

If you have an infection, your body will produce what are called antibodies to fight it. To find out if you have toxoplasmosis, your doctor may do a blood test to see if you have these antibodies.

If you have recently been infected, your body may not have had time to produce them. So even if your test doesn't show signs of them, your doctor may want to run another test in a few weeks to be sure.

If a blood test shows that you have antibodies, you will likely need another test. Experts recommend that a laboratory that specializes in toxoplasmosis reanalyze the blood sample to make sure the result is correct. If this is the case, additional blood tests may be done to find out when the infection started.

If you have a serious medical condition, such as encephalitis, you may need to have imaging tests to look for cysts or lesions in the brain. These tests may include magnetic resonance imaging or a brain biopsy. In an MRI scan, you are inside a machine that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create images of your brain and head. In a brain biopsy, the doctor takes a sample of brain tissue and checks it for toxoplasmosis cysts.

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy

If you find that you have toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, your doctor will want to know if it has been passed on to your baby. They may recommend one of these:

Ultrasound. It uses sound waves to create images of a child. Among other signs, this can show if fluid has accumulated in the brain.
Amniocentesis. Your doctor will use a long, thin needle to remove some fluid from the area around the baby (the amniotic sac). The fluid will be tested for signs of infection. You must be at least 15 weeks old before this test is done.

Treatment of toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis does not cause problems for most people, so you probably won't need treatment if your immune system is healthy. If you are HIV positive or have AIDS, your doctor may recommend the antibiotic sulfadiazine, as well as a medicine commonly used to treat malaria called pyrimethamine (Daraprim).

For a pregnant woman whose baby is not affected, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic called spiramycin.

If your baby is also infected or likely to be infected, the doctor may recommend sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine, but only after the 16th week of pregnancy. Your doctor will monitor your child closely for any signs of problems.

Complications of toxoplasmosis

If your immune system is normal, toxoplasmosis is unlikely to cause complications. You are at a higher risk of serious health problems from contracting toxoplasmosis if:

You have HIV or AIDS.
You are having chemotherapy, which affects your immune system.
You’re taking steroids or other drugs with the side effect of suppressing your immune system.

If you have a weakened immune system (especially due to HIV or AIDS), toxoplasmosis can be serious and cause seizures or encephalitis. People with AIDS or untreated encephalitis can die from toxoplasmosis. Children with toxoplasmosis may have hearing loss, blindness, and mental disorders.

Prevention of toxoplasmosis

There are several things you can do to avoid contact with the parasite:

Wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after working outdoors or in the garden.
If you have a sandbox, keep it covered so cats can't get in.
Wash hands, tables, cutting boards, cutlery and utensils thoroughly with soap and warm water after preparing raw meat.
Make sure food is well cooked, fruits and vegetables are well washed, and the water you drink is treated.
Avoid drinks containing unpasteurized goat milk and raw eggs.

If you have a cat, here are some tips to help you and your family feel safe around your feline friend:

Keep your cat indoors so she doesn't become infected with the parasite.
Try to keep your cat away from counters where food is prepared.
Feed your cat only dry or canned cat food. Cats can get it from raw or undercooked meat.
Do not touch homeless cats and kittens.
Clean the tray daily.
Only healthy people who are not pregnant should clean the litter box.
Wear gloves when cleaning the tray and wash your hands with warm soapy water.
After each cleaning, boil the litter in water for 5 minutes.

For most healthy adults, toxoplasmosis is not a problem. But pregnant women or people with weakened immune systems need to be especially careful. AIDS patients who recover from toxoplasmosis have a high risk of getting it again. To prevent this, they must take medication while their immune systems are at risk.

Babies with toxoplasmosis who are treated at birth may not show signs of the disease. If a pregnant woman is treated, the chances of having a baby drop by 60%.