1. Follow-up of the 1977 Georgia Outbreak of Toxoplasmosis
- Author
-
Mariana Wilson, Michele C. Hlavsa, Gary N Holland, Jeffrey L. Jones, Adriana S. Lopez, and Ricardo B Akstein
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Georgia ,Time Factors ,030106 microbiology ,Disease ,Disease Outbreaks ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Virology ,medicine ,Humans ,Ocular disease ,Feces ,Aged ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,biology ,business.industry ,Follow up studies ,Outbreak ,Toxoplasma gondii ,Dust ,Articles ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,biology.organism_classification ,Toxoplasmosis ,Surgery ,Infectious Diseases ,Chorioretinitis ,Eye examination ,030221 ophthalmology & optometry ,Female ,Parasitology ,business ,Follow-Up Studies - Abstract
In 1977, an outbreak of toxoplasmosis occurred among 37 persons associated with exposure to an indoor horse arena. Cat feces containing the organism were most likely stirred up when horses ran on the dirt floor, and were inhaled or ingested by riders and observers. After 25 or more years, we attempted to locate persons from the outbreak and offer them an eye examination. Of the 37 persons in the outbreak, 18 (49%) were located; four had died, and the remaining 14 agreed to an examination. Among the 14 persons examined, three (21%) were found to have lesions typical of toxoplasmic retinochoroiditis. If these three persons were the only ones with ocular disease among the 37 persons in the outbreak, the disease rate would still be high (8%). As a result of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii during this outbreak, a relatively high percentage of persons developed ocular disease.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF