Toxoplasma gondii is known to induce specific behavioural changes in its intermediate hosts. This is usually considered to be an evolutionary adaptation aimed to increase the probability of transmission of the parasite into its definitive host, the cat, by predation. In rodents an increase of reaction time as well as many other specific behavioural patterns have been observed. Here we report th...

Toxoplasma gondii is known to induce specific behavioural changes in its intermediate hosts. This is usually considered to be an evolutionary adaptation aimed to increase the probability of transmission of the parasite into its definitive host, the cat, by predation. In rodents an increase of reaction time as well as many other specific behavioural patterns have been observed. Here we report th...

BACKGROUND The biological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is based on the detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in blood specimens or other samples. Serological testing is used mainly to define the immunity status of the patient before HSCT. The aim of our study was to examine the performance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and serologi...

Toxoplasma gondii is an important opportunistic agent especially in immunocompromised hosts and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Hence, detection and monitoring of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies are of a great interest in HIV-infected patients. A study on the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and associated risk factors was carried out among HIV-infected patients in Jahrom, southern Iran. T...

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasmosis is considered one of the most common cerebral opportunistic infections in HIV-AIDS patients. It develops when CD4 count falls below 100 cells/cmm, either from acute exposure to the parasite or from reactivation of latent infection. These patients may also develop extra-cerebral toxoplasmosis such as...

Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Toxoplasma dual infections in the immunocompromised patient remains a healthcare challenge. We report a case of congenital toxoplasmosis resulting from reactivation of latent infection in a severely immunodepressed HIV-infected pregnant woman, who had poor adherence to therapy; this case illustrates the difficulties encountered in management...

In the recent issue of Folia Parasitologica (59: 93–98), Guenter et al. (2012) published results of a study showing that the effect of latent toxoplasmosis on cognitive function of 70 subjects cannot be proved to exist using a panel of five neuropsychological tests (Guenter et al. 2012). It must be mentioned that the data (mostly ordinal variables without normal distribution) were analysed eith...

BACKGROUND Latent toxoplasmosis, protozoan parasitosis with prevalence rates from 20 to 60% in most populations, is known to impair reaction times in infected subjects, which results, for example, in a higher risk of traffic accidents in subjects with this life-long infection. Two recent studies have reported that RhD-positive subjects, especially RhD heterozygotes, are protected against latent...

background: toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent people is generally asympto­matic but in immunocompromised patients including hiv/aids, can­cer pa­tients, and organ transplant recipients, etc. it can lead to serious pathological problems. the objective of current study was to determine the seroprevalence of t. gondii igg and igm antibodies in hiv/aids patients using elisa technique in mazanda­ran ...

BACKGROUND Latent toxoplasmosis, a lifelong infection with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, has cumulative effects on the behaviour of hosts, including humans. The most impressive effect of toxoplasmosis is the "fatal attraction phenomenon," the conversion of innate fear of cat odour into attraction to cat odour in infected rodents. While most behavioural effects of toxoplasmosis were confirmed...