There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects up to a third of the world's
population. Infection is mainly acquired by ingestion of food or water that is contaminated
with oocysts shed by cats or by eating undercooked or raw meat containing tissue cysts.
Primary infection is usually subclinical but in some patients cervical lymphadenopathy
or ocular disease can be present. Infection acquired during pregnancy may cause severe
damage to the fetus. In immunocompromised patients, reactivation of latent disease
can cause life-threatening encephalitis. Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis can be established
by direct detection of the parasite or by serological techniques. The most commonly
used therapeutic regimen, and probably the most effective, is the combination of pyrimethamine
with sulfadiazine and folinic acid. This Seminar provides an overview and update on
management of patients with acute infection, pregnant women who acquire infection
during gestation, fetuses or infants who are congenitally infected, those with ocular
disease, and immunocompromised individuals. Controversy about the effectiveness of
primary and secondary prevention in pregnant women is discussed. Important topics
of current and future research are presented.