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The immunology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the immune-competent host

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Congenital toxoplasmosis

Abstract

The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is one of the most common parasites of humans, with clinical toxoplasmosis constituting a major risk to immuno-compromised individuals, pregnant women and unborn children [1]. T. gondii infection is common in most war en blooded vertebrates and infects approximately 15–80% of the world’s human population depending on ethnicity or geographical location [2]. The sexual stage of the life cycle takes place in the intestine of the definitive host, the cat. Transmission to the intermediate host can occur in several ways — ingestion of infective sporulated oocysts released in cat faeces, or by the ingestion of meat containing the long-lived tissue cyst stage which allows direct transmission from one intermediate host to another. Vertical transmission results in congenital infection or more unusually, infection can be acquired as a result of receiving transplants from infected individuals or occasionally as a result of a laboratory accident.

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Authors
  1. J. Alexander
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  2. C. W. Roberts
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  3. W. Walker
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  4. G. Reichmann
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  5. C. A. Hunter
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculté de Médecine de Grenoble, Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France

    Pierre Ambroise-Thomas

  2. Statenserum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Peter Eskild Petersen

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© 2000 Springer-Verlag France

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Alexander, J., Roberts, C.W., Walker, W., Reichmann, G., Hunter, C.A. (2000). The immunology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the immune-competent host. In: Ambroise-Thomas, P., Petersen, P.E. (eds) Congenital toxoplasmosis. Springer, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0847-5_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-2-8178-0847-5_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Paris

  • Print ISBN: 978-2-287-59664-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-2-8178-0847-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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