Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects most of the warm blooded animals inclusive of humans and causes toxoplasmosis disease. Toxoplasmosis disease commonly involves the retina. The diseases have a higher infection rate on immune compromised individuals and it is considered congenital disease gave it includes severity of central nervous system. Despite measures to reduce the disease transmission, T.gondii infection is still high. There have been numerous reports in South America on T.gondii regarded as one of the deadly infections. The goal of research conducted is to highlight T.gondii as a global menace and emphasize on the need to prevent infection of the disease (McConkey, Martin, Bristow, & Webster, 2013). To curb the disease, educational campaigns on prevention measures have been launched, and development of new drugs to prevent the primary infection has been initiated to reduce the burden of the disease.
The WHO has listed T.gondii as a global threat, approximately 6 billion people have been infected with T.gondii. The infection is common in humans. In humans, the incubation period of the disease is 5-23 days. The United States has about one million infections every year thus resulting in approximately 200,000 cases of retinal infections and 800 deaths (McConkey, Martin, Bristow, & Webster, 2013). Thus, the disease is considered the second most common cause of deaths related to food-borne illness. Moreover, South America is reported to experience higher sexual replication of the parasites with environmental conditions favouring the parasite. Eating habits, hygiene, and the host susceptibility also determine the sensitivity of human infection. In the human host, the parasites form tissue cysts; the cysts are commonly located in the skeletal muscles, eyes, brains and myocardium. The cysts may remain in the host body throughout the life of the host (McConkey, Martin, Bristow, & Webster, 2013). The diagnosis is often achieved by serology and observed in stained biopsy specimens. Further studies have indicated many of the regions that are worst affected by the T.gondii can be categorized as poverty zones (Doggett, Ojo, Fan, Maly, & Van Voorhis, 2014). In these areas, there is less emphasis placed on hygiene and importance of the human immune system. T.gondii can stay for a long time in the host body without being detected, but upon the parasite reaching large reproduction in the host body, it can cause detrimental effects which are often permanent.
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Based on research finding, T. gondii being a global menace, treatment and prevention measures are the most effective ways to eradicate the disease (Doggett, Ojo, Fan, Maly, & Van Voorhis, 2014). Hygienic measures can significantly reduce the transmission of illness, example washing of vegetables and fruits, washing hands after handling cats, avoiding consumption of raw and undercooked meat. Moreover, hygienic measures are cost-effective and can easily be implemented. Educative campaigns should also be devised to help in the prevention of the transmission of the disease. High susceptible individuals who have cats need to know the cats are some of the primary hosts of T.gondii parasites. Therefore, to avoid transmission of the infections it is important for the cats to visit the vet regularly, persons handling the cats should clean their hands after, and litter boxes need to be changed every day while putting on gloves. Pregnant mothers are advised to avoid cleaning the litter box because in case the pregnant mother is affected, the risk of transmission to the unborn is estimated 25% in the first trimester (Doggett, Ojo, Fan, Maly, & Van Voorhis, 2014). Much emphasis placed on prevention despite the treatment options available as it is vital for people to understand no cure restores the damaged retinal cells. Furthermore, both active lesion and scars can potentially cause permanent blindness.
In summary, although most of the immune-compromised individuals infected with the parasite remain asymptomatic during their lifetime, globally the parasite causes large amounts of visual loss and mobility. Hygienic measures are very cost-effective and significantly reduce the chances of transmission. Therefore, there is a need for new studies to be geared towards prevention measures of primary infections.
References
Doggett, J. S., Ojo, K. K., Fan, E., Maly, D. J., & Van Voorhis, W. C. (2014). Bumped kinase inhibitor 1294 treats established Toxoplasma gondii infection. Antimicrobial agents and chemotherapy , 58 (6), 3547-3549.
McConkey, G. A., Martin, H. L., Bristow, G. C., & Webster, J. P. (2013). Toxoplasma gondii infection and behaviour–location, location, location? Journal of Experimental Biology , 216 (1), 113-119.
