Cat scratch disease, also known as Toxoplasmosis, is a very common condition caused by a parasite that resides in cats, it can also be acquired it through raw meat or undercooked meat. In the US the the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimate that 60 million people carry this parasite! And it is estimated that some European countries 90% of their population are carriers. So it is not an uncommon disease by any means.You may ask if this disease is so common why don’t more people know about Toxoplasmosis. The reason is that very few people have symptoms. 80 to 90% of people who are seropositive (showing positive results) for Toxoplasma gondii are completely unaware and display no symptoms. They carry the parasite around, but it rarely causes disease because our body’s immune system keeps the parasite at bay.
SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN CONTRACT TOXOPLASMOSIS:
- Touching or coming into contact with infected cat feces (cats acquire the infection from eating infected birds, rodents or other small animals)
- You may acquire the Toxoplasma parasite after an organ transplant or blood transfusion, though this is extremely rare.
- If you prepare raw meat food for your pet and touch your mouth after you put yourself at risk.
- Eating raw or partially raw meat eg: Sushi, (raw fish is not as risky) as raw pork, lamb , beef or venison.
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE DEVELOP THE DISEASE AND NOT OTHERS?
Most people who contract Toxoplasmosis are unaware that they have the disease. Symptoms include flu-like symptoms such as mild fever, body aches, lethargy, headache, and swollen lymph nodes that appear on both sides of your body (symmetrical). This can last from several days to weeks. If your immune system is healthy and intact there should be no problem and you will recover quickly. Once you get Toxoplasmosis you are immune to it for life if your immune system continues to be healthy.
People with compromised immune system however are at severe risk. Your immune system can be compromised if you have AIDS, or are on chemotherapy or immuno-suppressive drugs (such as those patients who have had an organ transplant). Those with a compromised immune system can get Toxoplasmosis again and again. Toxoplasmosis can then invade the eye (ocular Toxoplasmosis), brain, lungs and heart and severely damage the tissues.
Ocular Toxoplasmosis is particularly dangerous because the Toxoplasma cysts then become invasive and cause the retina of your eye to be damaged thus causing varying degrees of blindness.
It is possible for a baby to contract Toxoplasmosis in the womb, the immune system of a foetus is not fully mature until after birth. The majority of infants do not show any symptoms after birth. A certain percentage do however, the few who show clear signs of infection at birth or shortly after may be born prematurely or are unusually small at birth, these infants can develop convulsions, cerebral palsy and spasticity, deafness, mental retardation, brain damage and blindness. The infant may also have a small head (microcephaly) or an abnormally large head due to increased fluid accumulation (hydrocephalus).
Although infection doesn’t normally spread from person to person except through pregnancy, in rare instances Toxoplasmosis can contaminate blood transfusions and organs donated for transplantation.
How Toxoplasmosis can enter the body
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF TOXOPLASMOSIS?
Most often, you won’t know that you’ve contracted Toxoplasmosis, although some people may develop Toxoplasmosis symptoms similar to those of the flu or mononucleosis, such as:
- Body aches
- Fever
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Occasional, a sore throat
If you are HIV/AIDS positive and receiving chemotherapy or you have recently had an organ transplant, you are more likely to develop signs and symptoms of severe Toxoplasmosis infection, including:
- Headache
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Occasionally, a sore throat
- Poor coordination
- Seizures
- Lung problems that may resemble tuberculosis or Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia, a common opportunistic infection that ocurs in people with AIDS
- Blurred vision caused by severe inflammation of your retina (ocular Toxoplasmosis).
TOXOPLASMOSIS TEST
ATtoxoplasmosis test is a blood test that checks for antibodies to the Toxoplasma gondii parasite. Your body’s natural defense system (immune system) will make these antibodies only if you have been infected by this tiny parasite. The amount and type of antibodies you have shows whether your infection is recent or occurred in the past. More than one blood test may be done over several weeks.
TREATMENT OF TOXOPLASMOSIS
Most healthy people don’t require Toxoplasmosis treatment. But if you’re otherwise healthy and have signs and symptoms of acute Toxoplasmosis, your doctor may prescribe the following drugs:
- Pyrimethamine (Daraprim). This antimalarial medication is also used to treat Toxoplasmosis. It’s a folic acid antagonist, which means it may prevent your body from absorbing the important B vitamin folate (folic acid, vitamin B-9), especially when you take high doses over a long period of time. For that reason, your doctor may recommend taking additional folic acid. Other potential side effects of pyrimethamine include bone marrow suppression and liver toxicity.
- Sulfadiazine. This antibiotic is used in combination with Pyrimethamine to treat Toxoplasmosis.
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