Patterns of Transmission and Sources of Infection in Outbreaks of Human Toxoplasmosis

Overview

Journal Emerg Infect Dis

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2019 Nov 20

PMID 31742524

Citations 46

Authors

Fernanda Pinto-Ferreira

Eloiza Teles Caldart

Aline Kuhn Sbruzzi Pasquali

Regina Mitsuka-Bregano

Roberta Lemos Freire

Italmar Teodorico Navarro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We report on apparent temporal progression of probable sources of infection and transmission routes for global human toxoplasmosis outbreaks as described in published articles. We searched the Scientific Electronic Library Online, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases for articles on Toxoplasma, toxoplasmosis, and outbreaks. We found that transmission routes for Toxoplasma gondii varied by decade. In the 1960s and 1990s, toxoplasmosis outbreaks mainly occurred through ingestion of cysts in meat and meat derivatives; in the 1980s, through milk contaminated with tachyzoites; in 2000, due to the presence of oocysts in water, sand, and soil; and in 2010, due to oocysts in raw fruits and vegetables. Our study suggests a possible change in the epidemiology of reported toxoplasmosis outbreaks. Because of this change, we suggest that greater attention be paid to the disinfection of vegetables, as well as to the quality of water used for drinking and irrigation.

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