Toxoplasmosis is one of the most successful parasitic infections, caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. A woman acquiring Toxoplasmosis for the first time during her pregnancy, the disease develops severe parasitemia in the mother and a life-threatening infection to the fetus or abortion. Definitive host of T.gondii is the cat, serving as an important tool for oocyst transmission among the human population. 10-50% of cat owners develop Toxoplasmosis. Cats are exposed to Toxoplasma gondii by predation on wildlife or feeding on infected rodents. Once entered, the host T.gondii travels to felid intestine and starts sexual reproduction. Humans get exposed to Toxoplasma gondii sporulated oocysts by having accidental contact with contaminated cat faeces. In infected pregnant women, the ingested sporulated oocysts form tissue oocysts in the endometrium of uterus and develop focal lesions in the placenta, hence the fetus gets infected. Primary maternal infection may cause health-threatening sequelae for the fetus or even cause death in the uterus. Clinically, the disease is manifested by high fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, particularly headache, muscle aches, abortion, stillbirth and mental retardation of congenitally infected children. Laboratory diagnosis, i.e. PCR and serologic assays, plays the main role in the diagnosis of congenital infection. Treatment usually involves the course of an antibiotic called clindamycin, either alone or in combination with corticosteroids. Treatment should ideally be started immediately after the diagnosis and continued for several days after the signs have disappeared. In view of the devastating health hazards of Toxoplasmosis, the implementation of effective means for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of this disease should be carried out. A veterinarian should educate the cat owners about the importance of on-time vaccination of their pets, keeping them indoors and maintaining their health hygiene.

Dr. Shunazia Saquib, Ex-Senior scientific officer, QuinTech Institute of applied Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan

DVM, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan 

MPhil Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan