Changes

===Transmission===

===Transmission===

Any of the three life stages of T gondii can infect warmblooded

 

vertebrates, including cats and humans. Since

Although any of the three life stages described above can infect warmblooded vertebrates, most infections are acquired following the ingestion of sporozoites or bradyzoites, as tachyzoites are easily inactivated in the gastric environment. As cats rarely practice coprophagy, infection is usually acquired through the ingestion of infected intermediate hosts such as rodents. If a pregnant queen  is naive to ''Toxoplasma gondii'' at the time of ingestion, transplacental infection can occur. The outcome of this depends on the stage of gestation. Infection during the first trimester usually has severe consequences, such as stillbirth or abortion; infection during the second or third trimesters are more likely to give rise to an infected foetus. Kittens infected neonatally commonly show interstitial pneumonia, necrotising hepatitis, myocardidits, non-suppurative encephalits and uveitis on post-mortem examination<Sup>1</sup>

tachyzoites are readily inactivated by gastric secretions,

most orally acquired infections develop following the

ingestion of bradyzoites or sporozoites. Coprophagy is

uncommon in cats; the usual source of infection is the

ingestion of T gondii bradyzoites during carnivorous

feeding. Oocysts can generally be detected in the faeces

and oocyst shedding is usually completed by 10 to 21

days post-infection. Only 20 per cent of cats infected by

the onset of oocyst shedding is between 18 and 44 days

(Dubey and Lappin 1998).

woman or queen ingests T gondii during gestation. First

trimester infections are rare but, when they occur, the

sequelae are generally severe. In humans, stillbirth, abortion

and severe CNS disease are common. In neonatally

infected kittens, interstitial pneumonia, necrotising

hepatitis, myocarditis, non-suppurative encephalitis and

uveitis are commonly detected after necropsy and histological

examination. In humans, the fetus is more likely

===Pathogenesis===

===Pathogenesis===