Difference between revisions of "Toxoplasmosis - Human"

Latest revision as of 13:02, 20 July 2012

Introduction

Human exposure to toxoplasmosis is common: it is estimated that aroung 60% of healthy adults worldwide are seropositive to Toxoplasma gondii. The most common route of human infection is ingestion of oocysts in water or food contaminated by cat faeces, although consumption of undercooked meat containing tissue cysts also occurs. Contact with abortion products from infected ewes is a risk for pregnant women. An immune response occurs in response to infection, and tissue cysts form in several organs. These cysts may later reactivate in immunocompromised patients, for example those suffering from AIDS. If initial infection occurs during pregnancy, or if cysts reactivate at this time, Toxoplasma may infect the foetus transplacentally. As most mothers are exposed to Toxoplasma gondii early in life, and are immunocompetent, transplacental infection is seen infrequently. Transmission via blood transfusions or organ transplantation can also occur in man.

Signalment

Despite the various methods of transmission to man, and the high seroprevalence to Toxoplasma gondii, the risk of developing clinical disease is low and is generally restricted to foetuses infected in utero, and immunosuppressed patients such as those infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

Clinical Signs

There are several manifestations of toxoplasmosis in man. Acute infection in healthy individuals is normally asymptomatic, but up to 20% of patients develop lymphadenopathy. This is sometimes accompanied by flu-like signs which may include pyrexia, pharyngitis and myalgia and last for several weeks before a full recovery is made.

CNS signs are the most common presentation in immunocompromised patients suffering Toxoplasma infection or re-activation. Signs are due to intracranial mass lesions or encephalitis, and can include headaches, seizures, pyrexia, coma and focal neurological deficits. Ocular involvement is also possible and usually results from re-activation of a congenital infection. Inflammation of the choroid causes pain and visual disturbances. Occasionally, in severely immunocompromised patients, disease can be seen outwith the CNS and the eye. In these incidences, affected tissues and therefore clinical signs can be variable. For example, patients may suffer pneumonitis, myocarditis, high fevers or polymyositis, which may prove fatal without treatment.

When infection is acquired for the first time during pregnancy, congenital toxoplasmosis can arise. This may also occur if a mother infected before conception becomes immunosuppressed during pregnancy. Foetuses infected congenitally may be aborted, stillborn, or born with toxoplasmosis. Infections later in gestation are more likely to give rise to a live but infected neonate. When neonates are born with toxoplasmosis disease can be severe, particularly if transplacental infection occurred early in pregnancy. Signs can include rashes, icterus and hepatosplenomegaly as well as retinochoroiditis, cerebral calcifications, hydrocephalus/microcephaly, and psychomotor retardation. These last four signs together are characteristic of congenital toxoplasmosis. Infants infected during the third trimester are less severely affected and tend to appear normal at birth. However, signs may develop months to years later, and can include seizures, retinochoroiditis and intellectual disability.

Laboratory Tests

Changes in routine haematology and biochemistry may be seen in acute toxoplasmosis. These can include a mild anaemia and leukopenia, as well as increases in liver enzymes.

Indirect fluorescent antibody tests or an ELISA can be used to detect T. gondii-specific IgG and IgM antibodies. The production of these antibodies follows different time courses: IgM appears in the first two weeks of infection, peaks at 4-8 weeks and declines over the following months, whereas IgG is produced more slowly and remains for months to years. Therefore, elevations in IgM alone indicates recent Toxoplasma gondii exposure, and an increased IgG with low IgM shows previous infection. In neonates, detection of specific IgM is consistent with congenital infection. This is because IgG crosses the placenta and could therefore come from an infected mother, but IgM does not and must therefore be produced by the foetus itself.

Diagnostic Imaging

If toxoplasmosis involving the CNS is suspected, CT and/or MRI may be used. One or more dense, rounded lesions may be seen.

Cytology

In the event of CNS toxoplasmosis, a CSF sample may show increased levels of protein and a lymphocytic pleocytosis.

Treatment

Asymptomatic infections in immunocompetent patients do not require treatment. However, immunocompromised people, neonates and pregnant women are usually treated with sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. Clindamycin can also be used.

From a veterinary perspective, the emphasis is on preventing human Toxoplasma gondii infection. Tissue cysts in meat are inactivated by thorough cooking and by freezing, so care should be taken that food is properly prepared. Hands, kitchen utensils and work surfaces should all be washed with soap and water after contact with raw meat, and meat should not be tasted during cooking. As soil may be contaminated by cat faeces, gloves should be worn whilst gardening and vegetables should be washed before consumption. Pregnant women should avoid contact with cats; if this is not possible then they should at least avoid changing cat litter. Litter boxes should be covered and emptied daily, and cats should never be fed raw meat. Pregnant women should also not assist at lambing.

There is no vaccine against toxoplasmosis in man.

Links

Ovine Toxoplasmosis

Feline and Canine Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis - Human Learning Resources
Literature Search Search for recent publications via CAB Abstract (CABI log in required)	Toxoplasmasis in humans publications

References

Beers, M H (2006) The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (Eighteenth Edition), Merck.
Montoya, J and Liesenfeld, O (2004) Toxoplasmosis. Lancet, 363(9425), 1965-1976.
Sukthana, Y (2006) Toxoplasmosis: beyond animals to humans. Trends in Parasitology, 22(3), 137–142.
Toxoplasmosis Factsheets (2004) Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

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-==Description==
+{{OpenPagesTop}}
+==Introduction==
-T  gondii  is an important zoonotic agent. In some areas of the world, up to 60% of the human population have serum IgG titers to T  gondii  and are likely to be persistently infected.
+Human exposure to toxoplasmosis is common: it is estimated that aroung 60% of healthy adults worldwide are seropositive to ''[[Toxoplasma gondii]]''. The most common route of human infection is ingestion of oocysts in water or food contaminated by cat faeces, although consumption of undercooked meat containing tissue cysts also occurs. Contact with abortion products from infected ewes is a risk for pregnant women. An immune response occurs in response to infection, and tissue cysts form in several organs. These cysts may later reactivate in immunocompromised patients, for example those suffering from AIDS. If initial infection occurs during pregnancy, or if cysts reactivate at this time, ''Toxoplasma'' may infect the foetus transplacentally. As most mothers are exposed to ''Toxoplasma gondii'' early in life, and are immunocompetent, transplacental infection is seen infrequently. Transmission via blood transfusions or organ transplantation can also occur in man.
-Toxoplasma gondii is present worldwide wherever there are cats. The parasite infects a large number of animals as well as people. Many people in the United States have been infected, although few ever develop symptoms. Severe infection usually develops only in fetuses and people with an immune system weakened by AIDS, cancer, or drugs used to suppress rejection of an organ transplant (immunosuppressants).
+==Signalment==
+Despite the various methods of transmission to man, and the high seroprevalence to ''Toxoplasma gondii'', the risk of developing clinical disease is low and is generally restricted to foetuses infected ''in utero'', and immunosuppressed patients such as those infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
+==Clinical Signs==
+There are several manifestations of toxoplasmosis in man. Acute infection in healthy individuals is normally asymptomatic, but up to 20% of patients develop lymphadenopathy. This is sometimes accompanied by flu-like signs which may include pyrexia, pharyngitis and myalgia and last for several weeks before a full recovery is made.
+CNS signs are the most common presentation in immunocompromised patients suffering ''Toxoplasma'' infection or re-activation. Signs are due to intracranial mass lesions or encephalitis, and can include headaches, seizures, pyrexia, coma and focal neurological deficits. Ocular involvement is also possible and usually results from re-activation of a congenital infection. Inflammation of the choroid causes pain and visual disturbances. Occasionally, in severely immunocompromised patients, disease can be seen outwith the CNS and the eye. In these incidences, affected tissues and therefore clinical signs can be variable. For example, patients may suffer pneumonitis, myocarditis, high fevers or polymyositis, which may prove fatal without treatment.
-Did You Know...
-Eggs of the toxoplasmosis parasite can grow only in the intestine of cats.
+When infection is acquired for the first time during pregnancy, congenital toxoplasmosis can arise. This may also occur if a mother infected before conception becomes immunosuppressed during pregnancy. Foetuses infected congenitally may be aborted, stillborn, or born with toxoplasmosis. Infections later in gestation are more likely to give rise to a live but infected neonate. When neonates are born with toxoplasmosis disease can be severe, particularly if transplacental infection occurred early in pregnancy. Signs can include rashes, icterus and hepatosplenomegaly as well as retinochoroiditis, cerebral calcifications, hydrocephalus/microcephaly, and psychomotor retardation. These last four signs together are characteristic of congenital toxoplasmosis. Infants infected during the third trimester are less severely affected and tend to appear normal at birth. However, signs may develop months to years later, and can include seizures, retinochoroiditis and intellectual disability.
-Although the parasite can grow in the tissues of many animals, it produces eggs (oocysts) only in cells lining the intestine of cats. Eggs are shed in a cat's stool and can survive for up to 18 months in the soil.
-People may acquire the infection by transferring Toxoplasma eggs from contaminated soil or other objects to their mouth or by eating contaminated food. Occasionally, animals such as pigs acquire toxoplasmosis from contact with contaminated soil by eating eggs. People can become infected by eating raw or undercooked meat from infected animals. The parasite is rarely transmitted through blood transfusions or by an organ transplanted from an infected person.
+==Laboratory Tests==
+Changes in routine haematology and biochemistry may be seen in acute toxoplasmosis. These can include a mild anaemia and leukopenia, as well as increases in liver enzymes.
-A woman who acquires the infection during pregnancy can transfer Toxoplasma gondii to her fetus through the placenta. The result may be a miscarriage, stillbirth, or a baby born with congenital toxoplasmosis (see Problems in Newborns: Some Infections of Newborns). A woman who was infected before the pregnancy does not pass the parasite on to the fetus.
+Indirect fluorescent antibody tests or an ELISA can be used to detect ''T. gondii''-specific IgG and IgM antibodies. The production of these antibodies follows different time courses: IgM appears in the first two weeks of infection, peaks at 4-8 weeks and declines over the following months, whereas IgG is produced more slowly and remains for months to years. Therefore, elevations in IgM alone indicates recent ''Toxoplasma gondii'' exposure, and an increased IgG with low IgM shows previous infection. In neonates, detection of specific IgM is consistent with congenital infection. This is because IgG crosses the placenta and could therefore come from an infected mother, but IgM does not and must therefore be produced by the foetus itself.
-People with a weakened immune system, primarily those who have AIDS or cancer or who take drugs to suppress rejection of an organ transplant, are especially at risk of toxoplasmosis. Symptoms usually develop in these people when a previously acquired Toxoplasma infection is reactivated but can develop when an organ is transplanted from an infected person. The infection usually affects the brain, but it may affect the eye or spread throughout the body (disseminate). In people with a weakened immune system due to AIDS, cancer, or immunosuppressants taken after organ transplantation or for other reasons, toxoplasmosis is very serious and may be fatal if untreated.
+==Diagnostic Imaging==
+If toxoplasmosis involving the CNS is suspected, CT and/or MRI may be used. One or more dense, rounded lesions may be seen.
-==Signalment==
+==Cytology==
-Toxoplasmosis is a major concern for people with immune system dysfunction (eg, people infected with human immunodeficiency virus). In these individuals, toxoplasmosis usually presents as meningoencephalitis and results from the emergence of T  gondii  from tissue cysts located in the brain as immunity wanes rather than from primary T  gondii  infection. Toxoplasmosis is also a major concern for pregnant women because tachyzoites can migrate transplacentally and cause birth defects in human fetuses. Infection of women with T  gondii  may occur after ingestion of undercooked meat or accidental ingestion of oocysts from cat feces.
+In the event of CNS toxoplasmosis, a CSF sample may show increased levels of protein and a lymphocytic pleocytosis.
-==Diagnosis==
-===Clinical Signs===
-Most people with a healthy immune system have few symptoms and recover fully. Children born with congenital toxoplasmosis may be severely ill and die shortly after birth, or they may have no symptoms until months or years later. Some never become ill. Typical symptoms in newborns can include inflammation of the eyes (chorioretinitis), which can result in blindness, as well as enlargement of the liver and spleen, jaundice, rash, easy bruising, seizures, a large or small head, and mental retardation.
+==Treatment==
+Asymptomatic infections in immunocompetent patients do not require treatment. However, immunocompromised people, neonates and pregnant women are usually treated with sulfadiazine and pyrimethamine. Clindamycin can also be used.
-Toxoplasmosis acquired after birth in people with a healthy immune system seldom causes symptoms. When symptoms occur, they are usually mild and include swollen but painless lymph nodes, intermittent low fevers, a vague ill feeling, and sometimes a sore throat. Some people develop only chorioretinitis, with blurred vision, eye pain, and sensitivity to light. Chorioretinitis usually results from reactivation of congenital toxoplasmosis.
+From a veterinary perspective, the emphasis is on preventing human ''Toxoplasma gondii'' infection. Tissue cysts in meat are inactivated by thorough cooking and by freezing, so care should be taken that food is properly prepared. Hands, kitchen utensils and work surfaces should all be washed with soap and water after contact with raw meat, and meat should not be tasted during cooking. As soil may be contaminated by cat faeces, gloves should be worn whilst gardening and vegetables should be washed before consumption. Pregnant women should avoid contact with cats; if this is not possible then they should at least avoid changing cat litter. Litter boxes should be covered and emptied daily, and cats should never be fed raw meat. Pregnant women should also not assist at lambing.
-Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in people with a weakened immune system depend on the site of infection. Toxoplasmosis of the brain (encephalitis) produces symptoms such as weakness on one side of the body, trouble speaking, headache, confusion, seizures, and coma. Acute disseminated toxoplasmosis can cause a rash, high fever, chills, trouble breathing, and fatigue. In some people, infection causes inflammation of the liver (hepatitis), lungs (pneumonitis), or heart (myocarditis). The affected organ may stop functioning adequately (called organ failure). These types of toxoplasmosis can be life threatening.
+There is no vaccine against toxoplasmosis in man.
+==Links==
+<big>'''[[Toxoplasmosis - Sheep|Ovine Toxoplasmosis]]
-mmune system dysfunction (eg, people infected with human immunodeficiency virus). In these individuals, toxoplasmosis usually presents as meningoencephalitis and results from the emergence of T  gondii  from tissue cysts located in the brain as immunity wanes rather than from primary T  gondii  infection. Toxoplasmosis is also a major concern for pregnant women because tachyzoites can migrate transplacentally and cause birth defects in human fetuses.
+'''[[Toxoplasmosis - Cat and Dog|Feline and Canine Toxoplasmosis]]</big>
-===Laboratory Tests===
+*[http://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/ Center for Disease Control and Prevention: Toxoplasmosis Factsheets]
+*[http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1195733799638 Health Protection Agency: Toxoplasmosis]
-The diagnosis is usually based on blood tests that detect antibodies against the parasite. However, if the person's immune system is impaired by AIDS, the blood test may be falsely negative. To determine whether a fetus has been infected, a doctor usually takes a sample of the fluid around the fetus (amniotic fluid) to be analyzed.
+{{Learning
+|literature search = [http://www.cabdirect.org/search.html?rowId=1&options1=AND&q1=toxoplasmosis&occuring1=freetext&rowId=2&options2=AND&q2=human&occuring2=od&rowId=3&options3=AND&q3=&occuring3=freetext&x=34&y=5&publishedstart=yyyy&publishedend=yyyy&calendarInput=yyyy-mm-dd&la=any&it=any&show=all Toxoplasmasis in humans publications]
+}}
-===Diagnostic Imaging===
+==References==
-If toxoplasmosis of the brain is suspected, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is done. Less commonly, a piece of infected tissue is removed and examined under a microscope (biopsy) to identify parasites or characteristic proteins (antigens) released by the parasite.
-===Pathology===
+#Beers, M H (2006) '''The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (Eighteenth Edition)''', ''Merck''.
-==Treatment==
+#Montoya, J and Liesenfeld, O (2004) Toxoplasmosis. ''Lancet'', '''363(9425)''', 1965-1976.
+#Sukthana, Y (2006) Toxoplasmosis: beyond animals to humans. ''Trends in Parasitology'', '''22(3)''', 137–142.
+#[http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/DPDx/HTML/Toxoplasmosis.htm Toxoplasmosis Factsheets] (2004) Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
-Pregnant women should avoid contact with cats. If contact is unavoidable, pregnant women should at least avoid cleaning cat litter boxes or wear gloves when doing so. Meat should be cooked thoroughly, to a temperature of 165 to 170° F (74 to 77° C), and hands should be washed thoroughly after handling raw meat, soil, or cat litter. Freezing to a temperature of 9° F (13° C ) or below also destroys the parasite.
-Potential organ donors should be tested to prevent the spread of the parasite through transplanted organs. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole Some Trade Names
+{{review}}
-may be used to prevent toxoplasmosis. People who cannot take this drug may be given pyrimethamine Some Trade Names
-DARAPRIM
-with dapsone Some Trade Names
-ACZONE
-. Another option is atovaquone Some Trade Names
-MEPRON
-with or without pyrimethamine Some Trade Names
-DARAPRIM
-. Because pyrimethamine Some Trade Names
-DARAPRIM
-can damage bone marrow, leucovorin is given with it to help protect the bone marrow. People with AIDS may be given highly active antiretroviral drugs to reduce the risk of toxoplasmosis.
-Infected adults without symptoms and with a healthy immune system do not require treatment. Adults with symptoms and infants with congenital toxoplasmosis are treated with sulfadiazine plus pyrimethamine Some Trade Names
-DARAPRIM
-and leukovorin. Higher does of pyrimethamine Some Trade Names
-DARAPRIM
-are typically used in people with AIDS or other conditions that weaken the immune system. If people cannot take sulfadiazine, clindamycin Some Trade Names
-CLEOCIN
-can be used with pyrimethamine Some Trade Names
-DARAPRIM
-instead. Women who acquire toxoplasmosis during pregnancy may be treated with spiramycin to prevent transmission to the fetus. In addition to these drugs, people with chorioretinitis are given prednisone or another corticosteroid to reduce inflammation. In people with AIDS, toxoplasmosis tends to recur, so drugs are often continued indefinitely.
-To prevent infection, the hands of people handling meat should be washed thoroughly with soap and water after contact, as should all cutting boards, sink tops, knives, and other materials. The stages of T  gondii  in meat are killed by contact with soap and water. T  gondii  organisms in meat can also be killed by exposure to extreme cold or heat. Tissue cysts in meat are killed by heating the meat throughout to 67°C or by cooling to -13°C. Toxoplasma  in tissue cysts are also killed by exposure to 0.5 kilorads of gamma irradiation. Meat of any animal should be cooked to 67°C before consumption, and tasting meat while cooking or while seasoning should be avoided. Pregnant women should avoid contact with cat litter, soil, and raw meat. Pet cats should be fed only dry, canned, or cooked food. The cat litter box should be emptied daily, preferably not by a pregnant woman. Gloves should be worn while gardening. Vegetables should be washed thoroughly before eating because they may have been contaminated with cat feces.
-At present there is no vaccine to prevent toxoplasmosis in humans.
-==Prognosis==
-==Links==
-==References==
+{{OpenPages}}
-[[Category:Tissue_Cyst_Forming_Coccidia]][[Category:Zoonoses]]
+[[Category:Zoonoses]]
-[[Category:To_Do_-_Lizzie]]
+[[Category:Expert_Review]]