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Summary
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. More than 60 million people in the U.S. have the parasite. Most of them don't get sick. But the parasite causes serious problems for some people. These include people with weak immune systems and babies whose mothers become infected for the first time during pregnancy. Problems can include damage to the brain, eyes, and other organs.
You can get toxoplasmosis from :
- Waste from an infected cat
- Eating contaminated meat that is raw or not well cooked
- Using utensils or cutting boards after they've had contact with contaminated raw meat
- Drinking infected water
- Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion
Most people with toxoplasmosis don't need treatment. There are drugs to treat it for pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Symptoms
- Symptoms of Toxoplasmosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Preventing Toxoplasmosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Toxoplasmosis: An Important Message for Cat Owners (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Treatments and Therapies
- Treatment of Toxoplasmosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Specifics
- Toxoplasmosis (and the Eye) (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Toxoplasmosis
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Children
- Toxoplasmosis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Women
- People at Increased Risk for Toxoplasmosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Toxoplasmosis and Breastfeeding (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Patient Handouts
- Congenital toxoplasmosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Toxoplasma blood test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Toxoplasmosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Toxoplasmosis: An Important Message for Cat Owners (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.