Toxoplasmosis - a parasitic disease of humans and animals, provoked by a simple microorganism - Toxoplasma gondii (Toxoplasma gondii).
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most widespread diseases in the world. In Africa and South America, about 90% of the population is infected, in Russia, according to recent data, up to 30% of the population.
Toxoplasmosis - causes
The main carriers of the disease are animals, most often cats. Oocytes (eggs), secreted along with feces, eventually fall on their hair, and this is a direct way to infect a person. People, stroking a pet and not washing their hands, can easily bring a parasite into their body through the digestive tract.
Products obtained from infected animals (meat, eggs, milk) and not subjected to sufficient heat treatment are also dangerous. The use of such products in food inevitably leads to the ingestion of toxoplasma in the human body. Toxoplasmosis can also be transmitted by blood-sucking insects, through damaged skin, in utero (from mother to fetus).
It should be noted that for pregnant women, infection is fraught with serious consequences for the unborn child. Therefore, we strongly do not recommend contact with cats during this crucial period.
Toxoplasmosis - symptoms
In humans, toxoplasmosis occurs in three forms: acute, latent and chronic. Most often, latent and chronic forms are found, while acute with pronounced symptoms is very rare. Usually it is characteristic of people with suppressed immunity.
Various autoimmune diseases and procedures, such as HIV infection, oncology, chemotherapy, organ transplantation, and others can contribute to a decrease in the protective functions of the body.
The latent (asymptomatic) form can go at any moment into the acute stage of the disease. In this case, healthy immunity itself destroys the parasite and provides the body with lifelong resistance to toxoplasmosis.
It is very difficult to detect the disease, even in the acute stage, as the symptoms can mask as other diseases. Why it happens? Because toxoplasmosis, getting into the bloodstream, spreads with blood to all organs, and any of them can fail. The heart, liver, eyes, and brain may be affected by infection. And sometimes the disease is limited to mild symptoms: a slight increase in lymph nodes, a weak rash, headaches, and eye infection.
Identifying toxoplasmosis, focusing on the clinic, is almost impossible. You can only recognize a disease with the help of special tests.
Toxoplasmosis - diagnosis
The main diagnostic methods: complement fixation reaction, indirect immunofluorescence reaction, ELISA - enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
The most reliable method is ELISA. Its principle is based on the allocation of specific antibodies to toxoplasma.
After the microorganism enters the human body, the immune system begins to produce immunoglobulins, called them in medicine - IgM (early antibodies). They are the ones who fight the infection. After some time, IgM disappears and IgG antibodies appear that provide lifelong resistance to toxoplasmosis.
It is easy to guess if IgM was detected, then the infection occurred recently, the presence of IgG indicates that the infection occurred a very long time ago, and toxoplasmosis is no longer scary for you.
Toxoplasmosis - treatment and prevention
This disease does not always require treatment - it is almost impossible to remove the pathogen from the body, as toxoplasmas form over time cysts that are resistant to all drugs. Antibodies and cysts remain in the body forever.
Treatment is prescribed to people with pronounced signs with low immune response. Chemotherapeutic and antibiotic drugs are used. Treatment usually takes a long time. If necessary, prescribed combined procedures.
In a chronic form, toxoplasmosis is more difficult to treat. Unfortunately, chemotherapy in a chronic course does not give a positive result, so all efforts in this case are aimed at strengthening the immune system to help the body independently control the infection.
Prevention of toxoplasmosis includes:
1) the use of only heat-treated animal products;
2) thorough washing of vegetables, fruits and herbs, especially from the beds, the earth;
3) compliance with hygiene standards (washing hands with soap after a walk, before eating, and also after contact with a cat).
Compliance with the above rules significantly reduces the risk of toxoplasmosis infection.
