Public Health Significance of Human Toxoplasmosis

Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a significant food-borne zoonotic disease that causes a wide range\r\nof clinical syndromes in humans, including pregnant women, immunosuppressed\r\nindividuals, land and sea mammals, and various bird species. Felidae is the only\r\ndefinitive host that excretes a million oocysts of T. gondii in their feces, polluting the\r\nenvironment. T. gondii has a complex life cycle, with sexual reproduction occurring\r\nin cats, where oocysts are formed and excreted with feces. The meiosis of oocysts in\r\nthe environment leads to the formation of sporozoites that are infectious to intermediate\r\nhosts, such as rodents and livestock animals. In these intermediate hosts, rapidly\r\nreplicating tachyzoites are disseminated throughout the body, forming tissue cysts\r\ncontaining bradyzoites. Infected individuals become infected by ingesting oocysts\r\nfrom contaminated soil, water, or food. The transmission of toxoplasmosis is recognized\r\nas zoonotic transmission, with the primary route being through the ingestion\r\nof contaminated food or water, particularly undercooked or raw meat, and unwashed\r\nfruits and vegetables that have come into contact with the parasite’s oocysts. The signs\r\nand symptoms of toxoplasmosis can vary widely, with most healthy individuals having\r\na normal immune system and mild symptoms resolving on their own.

Author
Dhary Alewy Almashhadany

DOI
DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.114338

Publisher
IntechOpen Publisher

ISSN
978-953-51-0841-2

Publish Date: