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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 #307407
Title: Epidemiological review of Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans and animals in Portugal

Author
item LOPES, ANA - University Of Tras-Os-montes And Alto Douro
item Dubey, Jitender
item DARDE, MARIE - Hospital And University Center Of Limoges
item CARDOSA, LUIS - University Of Tras-Os-montes And Alto Douro

Submitted to: Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/19/2014
Publication Date: 11/1/2014
Publication URL: http://doi: 10.1017/S0031182014001413
Citation: Lopes, A., Dubey, J.P., Darde, M., Cardosa, L. 2014. Epidemiological review of Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans and animals in Portugal. Parasitology. 141:1699-1708.

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection of humans and animals and it continues to be public health and food safety issue. Humans become infected with T. gondii by consuming infected uncooked meat or by the ingestion of food and water contaminated with the environmentally resistant stage of the parasite (oocyst) excreted in cat feces. In the present papers authors review about toxoplasmosis in Portugal because many reports from Portugal are in Portuguese and not widely available to readers . The paper will be of interest to parasitologists and biologists.

Technical Abstract: Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis. However, data from Portugal are limited and a considerable part of the literature is in Portuguese. Currently, the rate of congenital infection in Portugal is unknown, and almost nothing is known of sequelae of congenital toxoplasmosis. There is no general population-based serological survey of T. gondii in humans in Portugal. In addition, there is little information on genetic characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii in animals and humans. In the present paper, we review prevalence, clinical spectrum and epidemiology of T. gondii in humans and animals in Portugal. This knowledge should be useful to biologists, public health workers, veterinarians, and physicians.