Prevalence of toxoplasmosis among selected group of unmarried volunteers Sudanese females

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a disease that results from infection with the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, one of the world’s most common parasites.1 It’s an important cause of reproductive failure in man and farm animals resulting in significant socio-economic losses worldwide.2 Toxoplasmosis as other parasitic infections are dynamic in their distribution–some are endemic while many ubiquitous. The environment plays a key role in their survival and transmission often time.3 A toxoplasma infection occur by eating undercooked, contaminated meat (especially pork, lamb, and venison), accidental ingestion of undercooked ,contaminated meat after handling it and not washing hands thoroughly (Toxoplasma cannot be absorbed through intact skin) ,eating food that was contaminated knives , utensils ,cutting boards and other food that have had contact with raw, contaminated meat, drinking water contaminated with toxoplasma gondii, accidentally swallowing the parasite through contact with cat feces that contain toxoplasma gondii, mother–to-child (congenital) transmission, receiving an infected organ transplant or infected blood via transfusion,4 it can be also sexually transmitted infection with serious clinical consequence. In most cases toxoplasmosis does not cause any symptoms and the person is not aware they are infected but in 10-20% of people infected with toxoplasmosis will develop symptoms similar to flu or glandular fever such as, high temperature (fever) of 38°C OR overaching muscle, tiredness feeling sick, sore throat, swollen glands, these symptoms are usually mild and will normally pass within a few weeks. Toxoplasmosis can be serious if a women becomes infected while she is pregnant or few weeks before conceiving. This is because there is a chance the infection could be passed to her baby and if the infection spreads to her baby, it can cause, miscarriage, stillbirth and congenital toxoplasmosis ,that cause serious problems that either noticeable from birth or develop several months or years later, such as brain damage, hearing loss and vision problems. Toxoplasmosis is present in every country and seropositivity rates range from less 10% to 90%. The causative agent, Toxoplasma gondii, has a complex life cycle and is an important food borne pathogen. Human infection can result from the ingestion or handling of undercooked or raw meat containing tissue cyst (bradyzoite). Alternatively, it can result from direct contact with cats or from the consumption of water or food contaminated by oocysts excreted in the faeces of infected cats.5