Toxoplasma gondii Infection in South-East Europe: Epidemiology and Epizootiology

Toxoplasmosis is a globally distributed parasitic zoonosis. Cats and other Felidae are the definitive host of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite, in whose intestines the sexual cycle takes place, and they are the primary source of infection to all animals including humans, by way of contaminating the environment with oocysts excreted in the feces (Dubey, 2010). Herbivores are infected by ingestion of food and water contaminated by oocysts, and carnivores by eating tissue cysts present in the flesh of infected animals. Omnivores including humans are infected by both routes – by oocysts via improperly washed vegetables or fruits, contaminated water or hands, and by tissue cysts via improperly processed or raw meat. Vertical transmission, from mother to offspring, may occur, and is the cause of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). CT is actually the major T. gondii-induced clinical entity, which, along with opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients, defines the clinical significance of toxoplasmosis. The gravity of the potential consequences of CT on the one hand, and the preventability of the disease on the other, call for implementation of prevention programs. A prerequisite for an adequate choice of prevention strategy is continuous monitoring of the local epidemiological situation.