 Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasmogondii, which is a single celled parasite, T. gondii. It is one of the most prevalent parasite illnesses, infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals, including people and pets. Although cats are an essential element of T. gondii's life cycle, the parasite seldom causes clinical illness in them. While T. gondii seldom produces major symptoms in healthy individuals, see below for exceptions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, has recognized Toxoplasmosis as one of five neglected parasite diseases of humans owing to its high frequency. It is estimated that more than 60 million people in the United States are afflicted. The life cycle of T. gondii is complex and involves two types of hosts, definitive hosts in which the parasite reproduces and forms eggs, caldo assists, and intermediate hosts in which it reproduces by making clones of itself, which cluster inside cysts. Wild and domestic cats are the only definitive hosts for T. gondii. When a cat and jests infected prey or raw meat, the parasite is released from cysts into the cat's digestive tract, where it reproduces and produces oocysts. Infected cats then excrete these oocysts in their feces by the millions. Newly exposed cats usually begin shedding oocysts three to ten days after consuming infected tissue and continue shedding for around 10 to 14 days. Oocysts are very hardy and may survive in the environment for well over a year. Additionally, some of the T. gondii are released from cysts from the infected meat will penetrate more deeply into the wall of the cat's intestine and multiplies yet another form, called a tashazoite. This form then spreads from the intestine to other parts of the cat. Eventually, the cat's immune system forces the parasite into a dormant or resting stage where it forms cysts in muscles and the brain. These cysts contain slowly multiplying toxoplasma organisms and yet another form, called a bratazoite. Other animals, including humans, are intermediate hosts of T. gondii and can become infected by eating cysts or oocysts. Oocysts passed in the feces of cats are not immediately infectious to other animals. The four becoming infectious, they must go through a process called sporulation, which takes one to five days depending on environmental conditions. Fecis containing sporulated oocysts, however, serve as sources of infection, regardless of whether they are in litter boxes, gardens, or in sandboxes in which outdoor cats have defecated. Once an intermediate host and just sporulated oocysts, the infection results in the formation of tissue cysts in various tissues of the body. Tissue cysts remain in the intermediate host for life and are infectious to cats, people, and other intermediate hosts that eat the cyst containing tissue. In some cases, T. gondii attackuites may be excreted in the milk of infected cows and goats. Diagnosis. Toxoplasmosis is usually diagnosed based on a cat's history, signs of illness, and laboratory test results. Measurement of two types of antibodies to T. gondii in the blood, egg, and im, can help diagnose toxoplasmosis. High levels of egg antibodies to T. gondii in a healthy cat suggests that the cat has been previously infected and is most likely immune to the organism and not excreting oocysts. These cats are no longer sources of infection for other hosts. High im antibody levels, in contrast, suggest an active infection. The absence of any T. gondii antibodies in a healthy cat suggests that the cat is susceptible to infection and would shed oocysts for up to two weeks following infection. The detection of oocysts in the feces is not a reliable method of diagnosis because they look similar to those of some other parasites. Additionally, cats can also shed oocysts for only a short period of time and often are not shedding oocysts when they are showing signs of disease. A definitive diagnosis requires microscopic examination of tissue samples for distinctive changes to the tissues and the presence of tachyroids. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out, BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife, to get 20% off. Treatment. Treatment usually involves a course of an antibiotic called clindamycin, either alone or in combination with corticosteroids if there is significant inflammation of the eyes or central nervous system. Treatment should ideally be started immediately after diagnosis and continued for several days after signs have disappeared. In acute illness, treatment is often started on the basis of high initial im antibody levels. If clinical improvement is not seen within two to three days, the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis may be questioned. Prognosis. The prognosis for cats diagnosed with toxoplasmosis depends upon the organs or systems affected, the time between infection and treatment, and initial responses to therapy. Generally, cats with CNS and I symptoms respond to therapy more slowly, but they still have more favorable prognoses if their clinical signs improve within two to three days of starting therapy. The prognosis for cats with toxoplasmosis affecting the liver or lungs is usually poor. Reducing the incidence of toxoplasmosis in cats requires measures to reduce both exposure to infective oocysts and the shedding of oocysts into the environment. Cats should preferably be fed commercially prepared, cooked foods, appropriate heating inactivates any T. gondias cysts that may be present, and should not be allowed to eat uncooked meat or intermediate hosts, such as rodents. They should also be denied access to facilities housing food producing livestock and food storage areas. As cats only shed the organism for a short time, the chance of human exposure via cats they live with is relatively small. Owning a cat does not mean you will be infected with toxoplasma. Since it takes a minimum of 24 hours for T. gondii oocysts and cat feces to sporulate and become infective, frequent removal of feces from the litter box, while wearing gloves and washing hands afterward, minimizes the possibility of infection. It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat, as they usually do not carry the parasite on their fur. It is also unlikely that you would become infected through cat bites or scratches. Indoor cats that do not hunt prey or consume raw meat are unlikely to be infected with T. gondii. In the US, people are much more likely to become infected by eating raw meat and unwashed fruits and vegetables than by handling cat feces. The possibility of infection after gardening in soil that has been contaminated with cat feces also exists, and this possibility can be mitigated by wearing gloves and by washing hands after gardening. Pregnant women and immunodeficient individuals are the two populations most at risk of developing health problems after T. gondii exposure. In utero infection is of the greatest concern in humans, between one-third and one-half of infants born to mothers who acquired toxoplasma during pregnancy are infected. The vast majority of women infected during pregnancy have no symptoms themselves, and the majority of infected infants will show no symptoms of toxoplasmosis at birth. Many of these children, however, are likely to develop signs of infection later in life, including loss of vision and hearing, mental retardation, and, in severe cases, death. In people who are either undergoing immunosuppressive therapy or have an immunosuppressive disease such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, toxoplasmosis may cause enlargement of the lymph nodes, eye, and central nervous system disturbances, respiratory disease, and heart disease. In these patients, especially those with AIDS, relapses of the disease are common, and the mortality rate is high. Research indicates that contact with cats does not increase the risk of T. gondii infection in humans. Cats only spread toxoplasma in their feces for one to three weeks following infection with the parasite. Cats rarely have symptoms when infected, so most people do not know if their cat has been infected. Your veterinarian can answer any other questions you may have regarding your cat and the risk for toxoplasmosis. Some scientists think that cats are becoming less important in the spread of this infection. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. 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