TOXOPLASMOSIS

INTRODUCTION
 Toxoplasma is a zoonotic disease which affects nearly all
warm blooded animals and man.
 It affects reproductive system, nervous system, skeletal
muscles and eyes.
DISTRIBUTION
 Toxoplasma was for the first time discovered in 1908 by
Nicolle and Manceaux from africa rodent(Ctenodactylus
gondii).
 The parasite is world wide in distribution but the
incidence is more in warm, moist climates than cold, dry
climates.
ETIOLOGY
 The disease is caused by parasite known as Toxoplasma
gondii.
 Toxoplasma gondii are found in three forms

 i)Tachyzoites

 ii)Cyst form

 iii)Sporulated oocyst

 The parasite has got affinity for epithelial, reticulo-

endothelial and blood cells.
SUSCEPTIBLE HOSTS
 Toxoplasmosis has been recorded in cattle, buffalo,
sheep, goat, pig, dog, horse, cat and man.
 Rats have been considered as carrier of transmitter of
T.gondii in cat and livestock.
Ingested Cyst in
infected meat LIFE CYCLE OF
TOXOPLASMA
CAT GAMATOGONY Unsporulated
DEFINITIVE AND oocysts passed in
HOST SCHIZOGONY the faeces.
IN -CAT

Sporulated oocyst
women sporogony on
Through food
and water ground
congenital

Infection
to foetus Intermediate
Cysts in tissues of host(cattle,pig,shee
intermediate host p,buffalo,goat,poul
try.
MODE OF TRANSMISSION
 i)Through cat: the cat is the only definitive host of the
parasite. Infected cats shed large number of oocysts in
the faeces. Stray cats contaminate the soils around
human habitations and thus play a vital role in the
transmission of toxoplasmosis.
 ii)Meat and meat products :
 Consumption of raw or undercooked meat or meat
products containing the tissue cysts is an important
source of toxoplasma infection .The cysts perist in the
heart and brain for years and those meat remain as
infectious to all species.
 iii) Congenital infection :
 Transplacental infection has been reported.

 Other methods:

 Inhalation and ingestion of infected milk may transmit

the infection. Infection has been traced to be transmitted
through semen.
 Man may acquire infection through
 a)Ingestion of oocyst from food, meat, water.

 b)Placenta in uterus.

 c)organ transplantation
CLINICAL FINDINGS
 Cat :
 Fever, bilirubinaemia

 Lymphadenitis

 Dyspnoea

 Anaemia

 Iritis

 Encephalitis

 Intestinal obstruction
 Dog :
 Asymptomatic. Lesions involve lungs and central
nervous system.
 Contureent toxoplasmosis and distemper is common.

 Pigs:

 There is abortion and still births in sows and dyspnoea

and wasting in young piglets.
 Sheep and Goat:
 Abortion is the main manifestation in ewes.

 In goats acute infection is characterized by high rise of

temperature, dyspnoea, diarrhoea, muscular tremor,
paresis of hind quarters, erythripaenia and anaemia.
 Cattle and Buffalo:
 High rise of temperature and enlargement of lymphnodes
are the important clinical features.
 Human :

 Most cases remain asymptomatic. There is mild fever

leading to encephalitis. Gets aggravated while
accompanied with aids.
 There is symptoms of rash
 Lymphadenitis

 Chorioretinitis

 Abortion in female

 Child may die or born with congenital cataract

 Hydrocephalus

 Microcephalus condition.
 These may be some afterbirth delayed manifestations
characterised by congenital cataract, chorioretinitis,
anaemia and mental retardation.
DIAGNOSIS
 Clinical signs are non-specific and the organism is
difficult to demonstrate. Therefore diagnosisin man and
animals is accomplished by serological tests.
 a)Isolation of T.gondii: parasites can be demonstrated
from lymph fluid, placenta, cotyledons and muscles.
 b)Methylene blue dye test.

 c)Complement fixation test

 d)Indirect haemaglutination test

 e)Direct agglutination test:

 Latex agglutination test

 f)fluorescent antibody test:
 ELISA

 IFA

 DNA test: This is new test for the detection of

toxoplasmosis in man and animals.
TREATMENT
DRUG DOSE HOST REFERANCE
Pyrimethmine @1mg/kgb.wt Mice,cat,
orally for the 3 dog,pig,man
days
sulphonamides @100mg/kg b.wt
Trimethoprim 80mg of TMP Man
and and 400mg of
sulphamethoxazol sulphamethoxazo
e le
spiramycin 2-3gm/day man
Azithromycin 2-4 gm/day man
clindamycin 150-300mg/adult Man, dog
monensin 5mg/kgb.wt sheep
 Drugs like pyremethamine and sulphonamides have been
used success.
 Diaminodiphenylsulfone @ 100 mg/kg.b.wt for 14 days
is the most effective treatment.
CONTROL
 Control programme may be aimed based on three
methods:
 a)Epidemiological control

 b)control through chemotherapy

 c)control by immunization.
 a)Epidemiological control
 i)Avoidance of exposure to cat

 Lowering of cat population in endemic zones.

 Cat should not be allowed to feed raw meat

 Cat should not be allowed to eat meat of wild animals

and birds.
 Cats’ faeces should be properaly disposed through
burning.
 Rodent population should not be controlled by eats but to
made through rodenticides.
 Young cat may be fed drug as preventive measure to
suppress the sheding of oocysts.
 Prevention of exposure in man:
 Hands should be properly cleaned of raw meat through
soap.
 Pregnant lady should be discourged to go for gardening
and handle soil and raw meat.
 Protective gloves should be used while gardening or
coming in contact with soil in areas contaminated with
cat faeces.
 Marketed vegetables should be washed thoroughly
before eating.
 Raw milk should not be consumed.

 Dead foetus, foetal membranes and discharges should

not be handled through naked hands.
 Flies, cockroaches must not be allowed to feed foods as
they may transmit infected oocyst from cat faeces to
animal and human food.
 B) Chemotherapeutical control:
 Drugs as shown in treatment schedule may be fed as a
proplylactive measure at periodical intervals to arreast
development of oocyst and their sheding through faeces.
 C)Control by immunization:
 No fruitful vaccine is available.

 A vaccine containing T.gondii tachyzoites has been

advocated to control the disease in ewes.
 Toxoplasmosis in man:
 It can be classified in three categories.

 A)congenital toxoplasmosis.

 While a women pick up the infection during her

pregnancy the child may be born with certain
abnormalites. Such abnormalites include impaired
vision, retinochoroiditis, hydrocephalus, convulsions and
intracerebral calcification.
 Acquired toxoplasmosis:
 There is malaise fatigue and fever along with sore throat
and headache in some cases.
 But most important feature is lymph adenopathy. Most
often cervical lymph nodes are affected.
 Subacute/chronic form:
 The main manifestation being seizure which may be
observed in 15-40% cases.