CONGENITAL TOXOPLASMOSIS: AN OVERVIEW ON TRANSMISSION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT WITH REFERENCE TO EGYPT

Abstract

Congenital toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic protozoan infection caused by the intracellular coccidi-an (phylum Apicomplexa) Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which has a worldwide distribution. All warm-is affected. The organism is transmitted transplacentally; following initial maternal infection, vertical transmission occurs from an infected pregnant mother to her fetus, mostly in the third trimester of pregnancy. The severity of fetal infection is determined by the pregnancy stage and whether the infected mother had received an efficient treatment in the early gestational period or not. A better prognosis is expected for children whose mothers were treated with anti-Toxopla-sma medications. Some factors favor infection transmission and progress of congenital toxopla-smosis as the parasite genotype, the immune status of the mother and the fetal or neonatal ability to develop an immune response against Toxoplasma. Possible outcomes of fetal infection include abortion, intrauterine growth retardation, jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly or intrauterine fe-tal death. Nervous system complications like intracranial calcifications or hydrocephalus as well as retinochoroiditis are all possible consequences. Commonly, there are no specific symptoms at birth and complications may appear at an older age. Congenital toxoplasmosis is treated by spiramycin in pregnant women, while, drugs were used during late gestation to benefit infected fetus and are also used to treat the newborn after birth.