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Research Project: INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE DETECTION AND CONTROL OF FOODBORNE PARASITES AND THE IMPACT ON FOOD SAFETY

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases

Title: Toxoplasma gondii: The changing paradigm of congenital toxoplasmosis

Authors
item Lindsay, D. -
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 1, 2011
Publication Date: December 1, 2011
Citation: Lindsay, D.S., Dubey, J.P. 2011. Toxoplasma gondii: The changing paradigm of congenital toxoplasmosis. Parasitology. 138:1829-1831.

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating undercooked meat from infected animals and food and water contaminated with oocysts. In the present study, scientists review congenital toxoplasmosis in humans. The results will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and public health workers.

Technical Abstract: Researchers have learned much concerning the population biology of Toxoplasma gondii over the past two decades. It is now apparent that many atypical genotypes exist besides the typical 3 genotypes (type I, type II & type III) first described from samples from Europe and the United States. These genotypes can differ in pathogenicity and transmissibility from the typical genotypes that have been used in the majority of scientific research over the past 70 years. These differences impact much of what we used to believe as facts about congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) and will be important in developing new recommendations for prevention of CT and the monitoring of women at risk for developing CT. The present review highlights new information on T. gondii genotypes and how this information will change the way we convey information about CT to pregnant women, physicians and students.

   

 
Project Team
Hill, Dolores
Dubey, Jitender
Zarlenga, Dante
Urban, Joseph
 
Publications
   Publications
 
Related National Programs
  Food Safety, (animal and plant products) (108)
 
Related Projects
   TOWARDS A VACCINE TO PREVENT TOXOPLASMOSIS
   INFECTIVITY AND TRANSMISSION OF TOXOPLASMOSIS
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   ASSESSMENT OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN GOAT’S MEAT, MILK, AND CHEESE ROLE IN TRANSMISSION OF TOXOPLASMOSIS TO HUMANS
   ANALYST TRAINING AND CHECK SAMPLE PROGRAM FOR PORK AND HORSEMEAT EXPORT PROGRAM
   PERIODIC NATIONAL COMMODITY STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE CURRENT ISSUES AND EXAMINE GENERAL HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USED ON FARMS
   TOXOPLASMA GONDII OOCYSTS IN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS: TRANSPORT FROM LAND TO SEA
   ASSESSING PREDOMINANT TRANSMISSION ROUTES FOR TOXOPLASMA GONDII USING NHANES 2007-2010
   CHARACTERIZATION OF...MOLECULES FROM ES PRODUCTS OF TRICHINELIA SPIRALIS/T. PSEUDOSPIRALIS L1 & THEIR USE IN IMMUNODIAGNOSIS
   IDENTIFICATION FOR TOXOPLASMA TRANSMISSION IN PASTURE RAISED ANIMALS SUBAWARD NO. Z551401
   NATIONAL ANIMAL HEALTH MONITORING SURVEY FOR TOXOPLASMA GONDII AND TRICHINELLA SPIRALIS
 
 
Last Modified: 05/25/2013
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