Describe the Various Ways in Which Toxoplasmosis Can Be Transmitted

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The Answer is The majority of individuals become infected with Toxoplasma by ingesting undercooked meat contaminated with the parasite. Livestock or rodents can be infected by Toxoplasma oocysts when they eat contaminated vegetation. This leads to formation of pseudocysts that lie dormant in the tissue of the infected animal until it is consumed by a human or a cat. Because cats and their feces do spread toxoplasmosis, it was thought for some time that they were the major mode of transmission. However, cats shed the pathogen only briefly, so although they do transmit the disease, they are probably not responsible for most cases of the disease in humans. Transplacental transfer of the pathogen is also possible, and can lead to a variety of adverse effects in the fetus, including death.

Describe the Various Ways in Which Toxoplasmosis Can Be Transmitted

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