| dc.description.abstract | Toxoplasma gondii, the agent of toxoplasmosis in all warm-blooded animals, undergoes
sexual reproduction in cats and asexual reproduction in all other families. Through fecal
excretion of oocysts, definitive host (cats) are responsible for the contamination of the
environment, whereas intermediate hosts (livestock animals) upon infection, develop T.
gondii in their muscle tissues depending on susceptibility, and become reservoirs for the
disease. Humans can also get infected by Toxoplasma gondii, either by consuming oocyst
from the environment or tissue cysts. Seronegative pregnant women infected with
toxoplasmosis will in turn infect their infants through placental transmission, causing
congenital toxoplasmosis, a serious disease leading to several neurological and ocular
disorders and even death. | en_US |
