Toxoplasmosis

What is toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In healthy individuals it's asymptomatic, but during pregnancy poses serious fetal risk — congenital toxoplasmosis can cause severe damage.

Transmission routes

• Undercooked meat — cysts in pork, lamb, game meat
• Cat feces — contact with contaminated cat litter/soil
• Contaminated produce — unwashed fruits and vegetables
• Vertical transmission — transplacental from mother to fetus

Pregnancy risks

• 1st trimester — most severe (hydrocephalus, intracranial calcifications, chorioretinitis), lower transmission (~15%)
• 3rd trimester — higher transmission (~65%), usually mild or subclinical
• Congenital toxoplasmosis — can cause blindness, deafness, intellectual disability, epilepsy

Diagnostics

• IgG and IgM antibodies — serological screening, mandatory in pregnancy
• IgG avidity — differentiates acute from past infection
• Amniotic fluid PCR — confirms fetal infection after seroconversion
• Ultrasound — monitoring fetal anomalies

Prevention in pregnancy

• Thoroughly cook meat (>67°C/153°F)
• Wash fruits and vegetables under running water
• Avoid contact with cat litter
• Wear gloves when gardening
• Wash hands after handling raw meat