An Insight into the Behavior, Course and Kinetics of Acute Infection of Toxoplasma gondii Human RH Strain in Experimentally Infected Murine Model

BACKGROUND Toxoplasma gondii, an apicomplexan parasite, is capable of infecting a broad range of intermediate warm-blooded hosts including humans. The parasite seems to be capable of altering the natural behavior of the host to favor its transmission in the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the course, alterations in behavior along with normal kinetics of the abnormally induced experimental acute toxoplasmosis in murine models. METHODS Ten Swiss albino mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with 100 virulent RH strain tachyzoites and finally, the alterations in behavior were described and compared with other known alterations in humans and animals. RESULTS The behavior and the other symptoms of the acute toxoplasmosis were recorded. Such mice showed typical symptoms like normal coat, severe ascites with pendulous abdomen and tachypnoea exhibited by resting fore legs either on walls of the cage, or nozzle of water bottle or other resting mice and yielded a creamy colored cloudy natured peritoneal fluid on aspiration. CONCLUSIONS Finally the alterations in behavior were described and compared with other known alterations in humans and animals. The study has generated some important data related to possible causes of behavioral alterations and generation of suitable strategies for control of these alterations in behavior vis-à-vis better understanding of the effect of acute infection of parasite on normal behavior of infected intermediate host.