Parasitic diseases of the heart II: Toxoplasmosis and other protozoan and helminthic diseases

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis Toxoplusma gondii is an apicomplexan obligate intracellular parasite with worldwide distribution, capable of causing several syndromes. It is one of the most common protozoan infections of man, In the United States the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in adults varies from 20% to 70% depending on geographic area. Although most cases of acute toxoplasmosis are asymptomatic, a small number of acute infections result in clinically evident disseminated disease involving multiple organs (1). If a pregnant women is infected for the first time with T. gondii during her pregnancy, her child may acquire congenital toxoplasmosis (2). Iatrogenie immunosuppression associated with chemotherapy and transplantation has resulted in reactivation of latent toxoplasmosis with the development of clinical disease (3). With the advent of the HIV epidemic, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of patients with Toxoplasma encephalitis that may also be associated with dissemination to other organs (4,s). T. gondii has three morphologic forms: tachyzoite, bradyzoite (tissue cyst), and the oocyst. The definitive hosts for T. go&i are members of the cat family (6). Gametogony occurs only in the small intestines of cats resulting in the production of infectious oocysts. Humans and other animals become infected by ingesting oocysts contaminating food or