Toxoplasmosis 1976–80: Review of laboratory reports to the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre

Abstract

Summary The data available from reports received by the PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre show that toxoplasmosis is associated with two main types of disease; a glandular or acute form with high antibody levels, and an ocular or late form with lower antibody levels. Reports show a seasonal variation, with a slight dip in incidence during the summer. Young adults are the group most commonly reported; of particular interest however is the very low incidence of toxoplasmosis in children, which throws some doubt on the importance of cat faeces in the transmission of this disease. A surprisingly low number of congenital cases was reported, perhaps because some cases have few or none of the recognised stigmata, and are therefore not investigated.