Toxoplasmosis

What is Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis is an illness caused by the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. Toxoplasmosis is considered the third leading cause of death attributable to foodborne illness in the United States. Most people who are infected are not aware they have it and most healthy people recover from the infection without treatment.

What are the symptoms of Toxoplasmosis?

Onset of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite is sporadic and varies amongst the population. Most people who have Toxoplasma gondii show no symptoms of the parasite infection.  For individuals who develop toxoplasmosis the symptoms include swollen glands, fever, muscle and neck pain and headache.

How long does Toxoplasmosis last?

Most healthy people recover from toxoplasmosis without treatment. The Toxoplasma gondii parasite forms tissues cysts that may remain inside a person throughout his or her life, often without causing symptoms. Millions of people carry the parasite in an inactive state, but it may be reactivated if the immune system is weakened.

Who is most at risk for Toxoplasmosis?

Anyone who ingests Toxoplasma gondii is at risk of developing toxoplasmosis but some groups are at greater risk of developing severe illness and complications from toxoplasmosis. Women who are newly pregnant are at risk of damaging their developing child with the parasite and individuals with compromised immune systems are at serious risk of developing potentially life threatening health issues.

What are the complications associated with Toxoplasmosis?

Toxoplasmosis can be particularly harmful to pregnant women and newborn infants. An infection during the first trimester of pregnancy when the fetus’s central nervous system is being formed can be fatal. Some experts say it’s responsible for about 80 infant deaths a year. Some babies infected with toxoplasmosis suffer hearing loss, mental retardation and blindness. By age 20, up to 80 percent of babies born with toxoplasmosis that went untreated suffer from impairments. Even healthy individuals are at risk of developing eye damage from toxoplasmosis.

Advocating for Food Safety

The foodborne illness attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault promote food safety through legal advocacy, information outreach and analysis of food poisoning outbreaks. For nearly three decades, the food poisoning attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have helped people harmed by contaminated foods or beverages, including clients in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and across the country.

If you or a loved one has suffered serious complications from a foodborne illness, please contact Neblett, Beard & Arsenault for a free evaluation of your case. Contact our firm by calling 1-800-256-1050 or use our online contact form.