Abstract
The oocyst, a resistant form of Toxoplasma gondii, plays an important role in the transmission of this protozoan. The objective of this review was to report the methods capable of inactivating oocysts through a systematic review of the literature carried out in the Scientific Electronic Library Online, Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed and Scopus databases. The keywords searched were (((effects OR infectivity OR resistance) AND Toxoplasma) AND oocyst). We selected 16 articles that described 309 different treatments. Among all the protocols evaluated, 35.60% (110/309) were effective in inactivating oocysts. Physical methods were more effective than other methods (p <0.05). Sporulated oocysts and the T. gondii VEG strain were more resistant (p <0.05) to treatments. Although it is effective against viruses and bacteria, the use of disinfectants in water has little or no effect on T. gondii oocysts. The use of radiation and pressure were effective in inactivating oocysts, as these treatments do not include changes in temperature, they can be used in foods for raw consumption, such as vegetables, as it will not cause substantially changes in their physical and chemical characteristics. Therefore, these methods can be viable alternatives for the control of T. gondii.
Highlights
Toxoplasma gondii infection occur via transplacental transmission or consumption of contaminated food and water
The main question that we addressed in this review was: what is the most efficient method to inactivate T. gondii oocysts in water and vegetables?
AND oocyst), 625 articles in total were found in the following: Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) (1), Web of Science (110), PubMed (117), Science Direct (198), and Scopus (199)
Summary
Toxoplasma gondii infection occur via transplacental transmission or consumption of contaminated food and water. The sexual phase occurs only in felines, which are the definitive hosts, and results in the excretion of oocysts within 3-7 and over 14 days after ingestion of bradyzoites and tachyzoites, respectively (Frenkel et al, 1970; Dubey & Beattie, 1988; Lafferty, 2006; Dubey, 1997). When infected with the tissue cysts, domestic cats can eliminate up to a billion oocysts within a period of one or two weeks (Dubey & Frenkel, 1972). These oocysts get excreted in the non-sporulated form and need to sporulate to become infectious (Dubey et al, 1970b)
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