The Zoonotic Aspect of Toxoplasma Gondii in Human and Animals: A Review

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which may infect any nucleated cell in mammals. This parasite infects over two billion individuals worldwide, and while only a tiny fraction of infected persons may develop significant disease, the parasite's ubiquity makes it one of the most highly dangerous zoonotic infections in the world. This disease can cause serious encephalitis in immunocompromised persons, miscarriage or congenital malformations in the newborns if infected during pregnancy, and significant ocular illness even in immunocompetent people. The illness has a complicated aetiology, as it is caused by ingesting oocysts shed in the faeces of definitive feline hosts that pollute water. In this review we demonstrated the current insight into the zoonotic aspect of toxoplasmosis in humans, and animals providing a complete discussion of the environmental mechanisms via which T. gondii oocysts, and tissue cysts might infect animals and humans, such as contaminated foods, water, animals’ meat or soil. This review also included mode of transmission and preventative strategies outlining fundamental control measures for lowering the threat of oocyst direct contact, as well as chances for future collaboration and new studies possibilities targeting reducing oocysts load and tissue cyst-borne toxoplasmosis in people, farm and wild animals. Conclusively, the infection occurs in both humans and animals, causing abortion in women and serious economic losses in animals. Transmitted to humans horizontally by ingestion of food and water contaminated by oocysts, also meat of infected farm animals or vertically through the placenta. Cats get infected through ingestion of intermediate host-containing tissue cysts. Heating, salting, freezing and radiation are the main ways enforced to reduce tissue cyst burden in animal meat used for human consumption