Changes

===Oocysts in the Environment===

===Oocysts in the Environment===

Infected cats shed oocysts continuously between days 3 and 14 post-infection. During this time, hundreds of millions of oocysts may be shed. The main sources of feline toxoplasma infection are chronically infected birds and rodents. Rodents are particularly important since they can pass ''T. gondii'' infection to their offspring without causing clinical disease. This means that a farm may develop a reservoir of ''T. gondii'' tissue cysts with the potential to cause feline infection and massive oocyst excretion. In turn, environments may easily become contaminated with a high oocyst burden when a cat is introduced.

As the definitive hosts of ''Toxoplasma gondii'', cats become infected when they hunt and eat infected wild rodents and birds. Rodents are a particularly important source of feline infection, as they can pass ''T. gondii'' infection to their offspring without causing clinical disease. This means that a farm may develop a reservoir of ''T. gondii'' tissue cysts with the potential to cause feline infection and massive oocyst excretion when a cat is introduced to the environment. Between days 3 and 14 post-infection, cats shed over 100 million of oocysts in their faeces. Studies have shown an association between ovine toxoplasma infection, and the contamination of feed or grazing with sporulated oocysts¹, highligting the importance of oocysts as a source of infection for sheep. It has also been demonstrated that the prevalence of ovine toxoplasmosis varies with the presence of cats on a farm².

 

Sheep are often kept in an environment that is significantly contaminated with oocysts, and infection follows ingestion of infected food, primarily contaminated pasture. Fields treated with manure or bedding from buildings to which cats have access result in high levels of ovine toxoplasmosis, and insecure storage of supplementary feeds also poses a risk.

 

As the definitive hosts of ''Toxoplasma gondii'', cats become infected when they hunt and eat infected wild rodents and birds. Between days 3 and 14 post-infection, cats shed over 100 million of oocysts in their faeces. Studies have shown an association between ovine toxoplasma infection, and the contamination of feed or grazing with sporulated oocysts¹, highligting the importance of oocysts as a source of infection for sheep. It has also been demonstrated that the prevalence of ovine toxoplasmosis varies with the presence of cats on a farm².

===Congenital Transmission===

===Congenital Transmission===