Parasitic Toxoplasmosis: The Scary Truth About Toxoplas

Section 1: Clinical Symptoms

1. General Symptoms in Dogs with Infection: Typically, dogs exhibit an elevated body temperature, loss of appetite, lethargy, coughing, and in severe cases, vomiting and bloody diarrhea. There may also be purulent discharge from the eyes and nose. Pregnant female dogs may suffer from miscarriage and the birth of stillborn puppies.

2. General Symptoms in Cats with Infection: Cats often show signs of pneumonia, fever, and coughing, along with loss of appetite. They may also experience miscarriage and mild gastroenteritis. However, many cats do not display any symptoms.

3. General Symptoms in Humans Infected with Toxoplasma: The majority of people infected with toxoplasma do not exhibit any symptoms, or the symptoms are so mild that the infection goes unnoticed. Only a few individuals may experience clinical symptoms during their first or initial infection, such as swollen lymph nodes, fever, fatigue, headache, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, and abdominal pain. These symptoms usually resolve after a few days or weeks as the body builds immunity. Reinfection does not typically present with these symptoms again.

The Life Cycle of Toxoplasma

Section 2: Modes of Infection

Infection can occur through ingestion of oocysts, consumption of raw meat, contact with placenta, or broken skin.

Section 3: Prevention Measures

To prevent infection, avoid feeding dogs and cats raw food and offal. Clean up feces promptly to prevent contamination of feed. Remember to wash your hands after playing with pets. While most disinfectants are ineffective against oocysts, they can be killed by methods such as steam and heat.