Toxoplasmosis in humans: causes, types, symptoms and treatment

Toxoplasmosis refers to the pathology caused by protozoan parasites - toxoplasm. Toxoplasmosis in humans affects the muscles, nervous system, eyes, leads to an increase in the spleen, liver and lymph nodes. The disease is very widespread and is more characteristic of young people. It is especially dangerous for women during pregnancy.

Toxoplasmosis in humans: causes

Toxoplasma can reproduce both sexually and asexually. During sexual reproduction in the human intestine , cysts are formed. They are distinguished by strong resistance to the influence of any environmental factors: drying, low and high temperatures. Cysts leave the body together with feces and exist in the external environment, again infecting humans and animals. Toxoplasmosis in humans can appear due to contact with an infected animal, because this pathology affects many species of both domesticated and wild mammals and birds. But reproduction of cysts by sexual way can occur only in animals belonging to the family of felines. So, the cat is capable of isolating up to two billion cysts in two weeks of the disease, which can live up to two years in the external environment. In the case of asexual reproduction, persistent forms of parasites are not formed. So, you can get infected with toxoplasmosis when:

• Care of an infected animal;
• The use of poorly roasted meat or contact with raw meat (for example, often the hostess tastes raw meat);
• Use of unwashed vegetables, herbs, fruits (they may have cysts);
• Blood transfusion or organ transplant.

Toxoplasmosis in humans: types and forms of the course of the disease

Pathology can be not only acquired, but also congenital, when infection of the fetus occurs as a result of the presence of illness in the mother. In general, toxoplasmosis can occur in a latent, chronic or acute form. The most difficult is the congenital pathology. And the acquired illness usually does not cause practically no symptoms. When a person enters the human body, toxoplasm begins in the intestine to actively multiply, and then through the bloodstream penetrate into other organs, causing inflammation in them. So, parasites affect the retina of the eye, the heart muscle, the liver. They can be in the body without showing activity, unless the impetus for this is served by a decrease in immunity or the effect of any adverse factors.

Toxoplasmosis in humans: symptoms

The disease manifests itself in different ways depending on the form of the current. The most severe symptoms occur in children with congenital toxoplasmosis. And, if the fetus infection occurred early in pregnancy, it dies in the womb due to the formation of incompatible with life ugliness. If the infection has come in the second half of pregnancy, the baby is born with the defeat of all systems and organs. It can have jaundice of the skin, low muscle tone, constantly elevated temperature, increased lymph nodes, spleen, liver, encephalomyelitis, skin rash, strabismus or blindness, irregularly formed spinal cord or brain. With acquired toxoplasmosis, which proceeds chronically or latently, the symptoms do not appear, with the exception of irritability, apathy, subfebrile temperature, weakness, and visual impairment.

Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis

To detect the presence of toxoplasm in the body can be done by parasitological research. To do this, the cells are analyzed for toxoplasmosis. A positive result with a 100% guarantee will make it possible to diagnose. But the negative will not always indicate the absence of the disease, since sometimes toxoplasma in biological fluids are not detected. To detect antibodies to toxoplasmosis, an enzyme immunoassay is used. To do this, take a blood test for toxoplasmosis.

Treatment

Pathology should be treated only when there are clinical manifestations. In this case, prescribe antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, antihistamines and sulfonamide preparations. In addition, the reception of vitamins of fortifying effect can be shown.