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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #286748
Title: Toxoplasma gondii prevalence in farm animals in the U.S.

Author
item Hill, Dolores
item Dubey, Jitender

Submitted to: International Journal for Parasitology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2012
Publication Date: 2/1/2013
Citation: Hill, D.E., Dubey, J.P. 2013. Toxoplasma gondii prevalence in farm animals in the U.S. International Journal for Parasitology. 43:107-113.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the most common parasitic infections of humans and other warmblooded animals. It has been found worldwide, and nearly one third of humans have been exposed to the parasite. Congenital infection occurs when a woman becomes infected during pregnancy and transmits the parasite to the fetus. Besides congenital infection, humans become infected by ingesting food or water contaminated with sporulated oocysts from infected cat feces or through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked or uncooked meat. Food animals (pigs, chickens, lambs, and goats) become infected by the same routes, resulting in meat products containing tissue cysts, which can then infect consumers. Toxoplasma infection is common in food animals in the United States. Implementation of management factors, such as biosecure confinement housing are important in reducing the levels of infection in animals destined for human consumption.