"Pet parasite"--Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease that is caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. It infects most genera of warm-blooded animals, including humans, but the primary host is the cat family. Animals are infected by eating infected meat, by ingestion of feces of a cat that has itself recently been infected, or by transmission from mother to fetus. Human infection can result from blood transfusions or solid organ transplants, carelessly handling cat litter that leads to accidental consumption of infectious particles, eating contaminated soil, or from eating raw or undercooked meat.





Up to 1/3 of the world's population is estimated to have Toxoplasma  infection. 400 to 4,000 cases of congenital toxoplasmosis occur in the United States each year. Congenital toxoplasmosis can cause sever consequences like mental retardation, blindness, and epilepsy in infancy or much later in life.


During the first few weeks of post-exposure, the infection typically causes a mild flu-like illness or no illness. It rarely causes any symptoms in healthy adults. People with weakened immune systems like AIDS patients or pregnant women can become seriously ill and the parasite can prove fatal. It can cause encephalitis and neurologic diseases and can also affect the heart, liver, inner ears, and the eyes. The acute symptoms of toxoplasmosis are flu-like. Swollen lymph nodes or muscle aches and pains that last for one month or more are some of the symptoms.


Link to see the distribution of toxoplasmosis in the world:
http://www.nationmaster.com/red/graph/mor_tox-mortality-toxoplasmosis?=10&b_map=1


Life cycle of toxoplasmosis:

TABLE 2
Possible Signs and Symptoms of Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Infancy and Later in Life*

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Abnormal spinal fluid

Anemia

Chorioretinitis

Convulsions

Deafness

Fever

Growth retardation

Hepatomegaly

Hydrocephalus

Intracranial calcifications

Jaundice

Learning disabilities

Lymphadenopathy

Maculopapular rash

Mental retardation

Microcephaly

Spasticity and palsies

Splenomegaly

Thrombocytopenia

Visual impairment