- How transmission occurs
- Main symptoms
- Types of toxoplasmosis
- 1. Ocular toxoplasmosis
- 2. Congenital toxoplasmosis
- 3. Cerebrospinal or meningoencephalic toxoplasmosis
- How the treatment is done
- Prevention of toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, popularly known as cat disease, is an infectious disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ), which has cats and people as its definitive host. Most of the time, the infection does not cause symptoms, however if the person has a compromised immune system, it is possible that they develop more severe forms of the disease.
The disease is mainly transmitted by eating food contaminated by the parasite's cysts or contact with the feces of infected cats. In addition, toxoplasmosis can be transmitted from mother to child, however this only happens when the disease is not diagnosed and treated correctly.
Although it does not cause symptoms, it is important that toxoplasmosis is identified and treated correctly according to the doctor's guidance to prevent complications, such as blindness, seizures and death, for example.
How transmission occurs
Toxoplasmosis can be transmitted through the consumption of raw and poorly sanitized food that is contaminated with feces from infected cats, contaminated water or consumption of raw or undercooked meat from infected animals, mainly pig, ox and sheep.
In addition, Toxoplasma gondii can be transmitted from mother to child, especially when the infection is not identified and treated. However, transmission depends on the pregnant woman's immune status and stage of pregnancy: when the woman is in the first trimester of pregnancy and has a compromised immune system, there is a greater chance of transmitting the disease to the baby, however the consequences are considered milder.
Contact with cats is not enough for transmission of Toxoplasma gondii . The person must have contact with the feces of infected cats for contamination to occur.
Main symptoms
In most cases, toxoplasmosis does not cause symptoms, however when the person's immunity is low it is possible that symptoms similar to those of other infectious diseases, such as influenza and dengue, for example, are the main ones:
- Body language, especially in the neck region; Fever; Muscle and joint pain; Tiredness; Head and throat pain; Red spots on the body; Difficulty seeing.
Symptoms appear more commonly in people with weakened immune systems, such as those who have chemotherapy for cancer, transplantation, HIV positive, or in women who contract the infection during pregnancy.
In more severe cases, toxoplasmosis can impair the functioning of organs such as the lungs, heart, liver and brain, and symptoms of the severe form are usually severe tiredness, drowsiness, delusions and decreased strength and body movements. Learn more about symptoms and when to suspect toxoplasmosis.
Types of toxoplasmosis
The parasite can spread through the bloodstream and reach one or more organs, giving rise to specific types of toxoplasmosis, which are:
1. Ocular toxoplasmosis
Ocular toxoplasmosis is when the infection reaches the eye and affects the retina, causing an inflammation that can lead to blindness if not treated in time. This disease can affect both eyes, and vision impairment can be different for each eye.
The main symptoms of ocular toxoplasmosis are decreased vision, redness and pain in the eye, and vision with black spots.
2. Congenital toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy causes congenital toxoplasmosis, which is when the baby is infected with this disease while still in the mother's womb. Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy can lead to serious consequences, such as:
- Malformations of the fetus; Low birth weight; Premature birth; Abortion; Death of the baby at birth.
The consequences for the baby vary according to the gestational age at which the infection occurred. The closer to the end of pregnancy, the more serious the consequences, which may be:
- Strabismus, which is when one of the eyes does not turn in the right direction; Inflammation of the eyes that progresses to blindness; Severe jaundice, which is the skin and eyes yellow; Enlarged liver; Pneumonia; Anemia; Inflammation of the heart; Convulsions.
In addition, there may be neurological changes, mental retardation, deafness, micro or macrocephaly, for example. Learn more about the risks of toxoplasmosis in pregnancy.
3. Cerebrospinal or meningoencephalic toxoplasmosis
This type of toxoplasmosis is more common in people diagnosed with AIDS and is usually related to the reactivation of T. gondii cysts in people who have latent infection, that is, who have been diagnosed and treated, but the parasite has not been eliminated from the body., allowing it to travel to the nervous system.
The main symptoms of this type of toxoplasmosis are headache, fever, loss of muscle coordination, mental confusion, convulsions and excessive tiredness. If it is not identified and treated, the infection can lead to coma and death.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of toxoplasmosis is only done when the person has symptoms of the disease, since the drugs indicated can be toxic when used frequently. Thus, treatment is only recommended in symptomatic cases and in pregnant women diagnosed with the disease.
The treatment of toxoplasmosis must be started as soon as the disease is identified, and the diagnosis is made through a blood test that identifies the existence of IgG and IgM antibodies in the body, which are produced to fight the protozoan that causes the disease.
Prevention of toxoplasmosis
The prevention of toxoplasmosis can be done through care such as:
- Sanitize fruits and vegetables to be consumed raw: water and bleach should be used, in the proportion of 1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 liter of water. The vegetables must be immersed in this mixture for 30 minutes and then they must be rinsed under running water; Consume drinking, filtered or mineral water; Cook meats well and avoid eating rare meat in restaurants; Avoid contact with unknown cats and wash your hands well if you touch animals you don't know; Wear a glove when cleaning the litter box and collecting cat feces.
People who have pets should take them to the vet for tests to identify the presence of toxoplasmosis, preventing transmission of the disease to humans.
