Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite. The primary host for Toxoplasma gondii is the common housecat. Cat feces contain oocysts that become infectious after 1-5 days.

In one survey, lamb and pork were infected with bradyzoites in almost 1/4 of samples, and up to 25% of pigs in the midwestern US are seropositive for T. gondii.

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Both fecal oocsyts and tissue (meat) cysts transform into tachyzoites if they are eaten - hopefully by mistake!

Tachyzoites migrate to brain and muscle, and then develop into cysts of bradyzoites.

During pregnancy, tachyzoites in the mother can cross the placenta and infect the fetus.

Tachyzoites from the mother may be passed transplacentally to a human fetus.

Up to 70% of the US population and 87% of the French are seropositive for T. gondii.

In immunocompetent humans, toxoplasmosis is a mild self-limited disease that may be clinically silent in up to 80% of cases.

However, in immune compromised individuals, the illness can be devastating and lethal.

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