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Toxoplasma gondii...

...has infected people on a worldwide scale. Chances are high that you and everyone you know are infected. Welcome to my T. gondii home page. It is your portal for everything Toxo.

T. gondii is a member of the Eukarya and more specifically the Protists. This organism is related to Plasmodium, the parasite that causes malaria. It is an obligate parasite that requires two hosts to complete its life cycle; most usually a member of the felidae (cats) and mice or rats. Sometimes, however, when the parasite's preferred hosts are not available, T. gondii will infect other mammals, such as you and me!

Image courtesy of Dr. Gary Ward of UVM

When humans are infected with T. gondii the infection is called Toxoplasmosis. Most healthy people never develop symptoms, however, immunocompromised people (like people with HIV) develop severe symptoms including fever, headaches, nausea, lack of coordination, confusion, and seizures (1).

Click the links to the right to learn more about this amazing organism. Learn how    T. gondii hijacks the immune system to remain hidden, and how it can induce schizophrenia and other behavioral  changes in humans!

 

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