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Primary infection during pregnancy by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii can be worrisome because transmission to the fetus may lead to congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). Neonatal diagnosis is usually performed by serological profile comparison of the mother and newborn. As previously reported in 2012 by C. L'Ollivier et al., three IgM bands at 75, 90 and 100 kDa called the "IgM triplet" has caught our attention and seems to be pathognomonic of CT. This retrospective multicenter study involved nine reference laboratories included in the French National Reference Center for Toxoplasmosis network and concerned determining the specificity and sensitivity of this IgM triplet. On this basis, we were able to propose a new read of the comparison of IgG and IgM immunoblot profiles of mother and infant to increase the sensitivity of this diagnostic marker. The effect of the trimester of pregnancy at the time of infection, but also of maternal treatment with pyrimethamine/sulfadiazine/folinic acid on the presence of this IgM triplet in the infant, could be studied. The presence of the triplet appears pathognomonic for the diagnosis of CT, and it increased the sensitivity of the immunoblot assay from 55.04% to 72.48%. As a result, it would be wise to enhance conventional immunoblot reading by adding the presence of the three IgM bands in the infant pattern for neonatal diagnosis of CT., (© L. Peyclit et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2023.)

Toxoplasmosis is the clinical and pathological consequence of acute infection with the obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Symptoms result from tissue destruction that accompanies lytic parasite growth. This review updates current understanding of the host cell invasion, parasite replication, and eventual egress that constitute the lytic cycle, as well as the ways T. gondii manipulates host cells to ensure its survival. Since the publication of a previous iteration of this review 15 years ago, important advances have been made in our molecular understanding of parasite growth and mechanisms of host cell egress, and knowledge of the parasite's manipulation of the host has rapidly progressed. Here we cover molecular advances and current conceptual frameworks that include each of these topics, with an eye to what may be known 15 years from now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We evaluated the in vivo activity of Bunium persicum (Boiss) essential oil on infected mice with acute toxoplasmosis. Methods: To evaluate prophylactic effects, male NMRI mice received B. persicum essential oil at the concentrations of 0.05 and 0.1 mL/kg for 14 days. After 24 h mice were infected intraperitonealy with 1×104 tachyzoites of T. gondii, RH strain. In order to investigate therapeutic effects, mice were infected and then received B. persicum oil at the concentrations of 0.05 and 0.1 ml/kg two times a day for 5 days. The time/mean time of death in all infected mice and the number of tachyzoites from infected mice were recorded. Results: The time/mean time of death of infected mice was 8 and 9 days after oral administration of B. persicum oil at the concentration of 0.05 and 0.1 mL/kg, respectively (P<0.05). In contrast, the time/mean time of death control group was 5 days. In addition, B. persicum significantly reduced the mean number of tachyzoites compared with control group. The time/mean time of death of infected mice was 6 and 7 days after oral administration of B. persicum essential oil at the concentration of 0.05 and 0.1 mL/kg, respectively. In contrast, the time/mean time of death control group was 5 days. B. persicum especially at the concentration of 0.1 ml/kg significantly reduced the mean number of tachyzoites compared with control group. Conclusion: The results showed the potential of B. persicum essential oil as a natural source for the production of new prophylactic agent for use in toxoplasmosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasmosis is considered as an important risk factor for bad obstetric history (BOH) and one of the major causes of congenitally acquired infections. The present study aimed to estimate the seropositivity of T. gondii infection and associated risk factors among the attendees of high risk pregnancy and low risk antenatal care clinic of Minia Maternity and Pediatric University Hospital, Minia, Egypt. The study was carried out from April 2013 to April 2014 through 2 phases, the first phase was case-control study, and the second phase was follow-up with intervention. A total of 120 high risk pregnant and 120 normal pregnant females were submitted to clinical examinations, serological screening for anti- Toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies by ELISA, and an interview questionnaire. Seropositive cases were subjected to spiramycin course treatment. The results showed that the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in high-risk pregnancy group was 50.8%, which was significantly different from that of normal pregnancy group (P<0.05). Analysis of seropositive women in relation to BOH showed that abortion was the commonest form of the pregnancy wastage (56.5%). The high prevalence of T. gondii seropositive cases was observed in the age group of 21-30 years. Post-delivery adverse outcome was observed in 80.3% of high-risk pregnancy group compared to 20% of normal pregnancy group. There was a statistically significant relationship between seropositivity and living in rural area, low socioeconomic level, and undercooked meat consumption (P<0.05). Serological screening for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies should be routine tests especially among high-risk pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which aims to establish the frequency of serum anti-Toxocara specific antibody (IgG) and anti-Toxoplasma specific antibodies (IgG, IgM) in patients diagnosed with epilepsy including the use of serology and Western blotting as diagnostic tests.

Sheep are considered less susceptible to leptospirosis than other livestock species, and reports of reproductive problems are scarce in scientific literature. Thus, our objective was to report an epidemic outbreak of leptospirosis in a flock in southern Brazil, causing economic impact represented by several numbers of abortions and barren ewes. From a flock of 602 sheep, 79 ewes had problems during gestational period. Blood samples were collected from 25 of these 79 ewes, 10 with confirmed abortion, 10 barren, and 5 ewes that delivered normally. Serum was separated and subjected to serological evaluation. Samples were examined for Leptospira antibodies by the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) as well as subjected to a differential diagnosis for toxoplasmosis and neosporosis. From the 25 sera analyzed, 19 (76 %) were positive while 6 (24 %) were negative, with single serovar response observed in 12/19 (63.16 %) while mixed serovar positivity was observed in 7/19 (36.84 %). Regarding to serovar prevalence, Hardjo titration was observed in 15/19 (78.95 %) and Wolffi in 9/19 (47.37 %). No samples were positive for toxoplasmosis or neosporosis. Therefore, based on the serological results reached by MAT, it is possible to strongly suggest the participation of Leptospira spp., especially serovars Hardjo and Wolffi, in the reproductive flaws reported in this short communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in the human population in the Republic of Korea (= Korea) is due to various reasons such as an increase in meat consumption. However, the importance of cats in transmitting T. gondii infection through oocysts to humans has seldom been assessed. A total of 300 fecal samples of stray cats captured around Seoul from June to August 2013 were examined for T. gondii B1 gene (indicating the presence of oocysts) using nested-PCR. Fourteen (4.7%) of 300 cats examined were positive for B1 gene. Female cats (7.5%) showed a higher prevalence than male cats (1.4%). Cats younger than 3 months (5.5%) showed a higher prevalence than cats (1.5%) older than 3 months. For laboratory passage of the positive samples, the fecal suspension (0.2 ml) of B1 gene positive cats was orally inoculated into experimental mice. Brain tissues of the mice were obtained after 40 days and examined for the presence of tissue cysts. Two isolates were successfully passaged (designated KNIH-1 and KNIH-2) and were molecularly analyzed using the SAG5D and SAG5E gene sequences. The SAG5D and SAG5E gene sequences showed high homologies with the ME49 strain (less virulent strain). The results indicated the importance of stray cats in transmitting T. gondii to humans in Korea, as revealed by detection of B1 gene in fecal samples. T. gondii isolates from cats were successfully passaged in the laboratory for the first time in Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of 3 chimeric Toxoplasma gondii antigens, P35-MAG1, MIC1-ROP1 and MAG1-ROP1, in the serodiagnosis of an acute toxoplasmosis in humans. Proteins were produced as fusion proteins containing His tags ends and then further purified by metal affinity chromatography. Their application for the diagnosis of recently acquired T . gondii infection was tested in IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). At 100%, 77.3%, and 86.4%, respectively, the reactivity of the IgG ELISA using P35-MAG1, MIC1-ROP1, and MAG1-ROP1 for sera from patients where acute toxoplasmosis was suspected was significantly higher than for the samples from people with a chronic infection, at 26.2%, 36.1%, and 32.8%, respectively. Moreover, P35-MAG1, MIC1-ROP1, and MAG1-ROP1 detected IgM antibodies with a reactivity at 81.8%, 72.7%, and 59.1%, respectively. The results presented in the article show that, particularly, P35-MAG1 may be useful in the preliminary detection of recent T . gondii infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The seroprevalence of toxoplasma antibodies in pregnant women and the prevalence of congenital infection differ widely between countries. A few cases of congenital toxoplasmosis diagnosed after the neonatal period, with long-term sequelae, have been reported in Thailand. No data on the prevalence of congenital toxoplasmosis have been documented and no screening for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy has been undertaken in Thailand. Subjects and Methods: A questionnaire enquiring about cases of congenital toxoplasmosis during 1995–2013 was distributed to paediatricians in referral and university hospitals in Thailand and the responses were analysed. Specific toxoplasma IgM antibody and clinical features were used for diagnosis. Results: There were 20 cases – 13 most likely and seven suspected cases of congenital toxoplasmosis. Most patients had systemic manifestations, but only 25% of diagnosed patients exhibited the classic triad of hydrocephalus, cerebral calcification and chorioretinitis. One of the five deceased patients lived beyond the age of 13 years and died of a pulmonary infection. All 15 surviving cases developed deafness, visual impairment or developmental delay. Conclusions: Twenty cases of congenital toxoplasmosis are reported. Delayed diagnosis and treatment resulted in a poor outcome. The prevention of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment of congenital toxoplasmosis should be a priority in order to prevent a poor outcome in infected children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease would lead the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which can be transmitted from congenital or acquired form. Therefore, the purpose of this was to determine which forms of clinical presentations in different stages of pregnancy and what are the complications caused by toxoplasmosis when present in pregnancy for both the fetus and the pregnant woman. Still, determine the parasitology of toxoplasmosis, provide clarification on the diagnosis, screening form and define the forms of treatment. It was found that the main effects that may occur and define the forms of treatment. It was found that the main effects that may occur are headaches, paresis, severe visual disturbances, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, intracranial calcification, deafness and even mental retardation. In conclusion, the Congenital Toxoplasmosis, must be diagnosed by clinical and laboratory examinations as soon as possible in order to accomplish it the appropriate treatment to reduce damage and thus ensure the wellbeing of the fetus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around 2 billion people worldwide are infected with the apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii which induces a variety of medical conditions. For example, primary infection during pregnancy can result in fetal death or mental retardation of the child. Diagnosis of acute infections in pregnant women is challenging but crucially important as the drugs used to treat T. gondii infections are potentially harmful to the unborn child. Better, faster, more reliable, and cheaper means of diagnosis by using defined antigens for accurate serological tests are highly desirable. Synthetic pathogen-specific glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) glycan antigens are diagnostic markers and have been used to distinguish between toxoplasmosis disease states using human sera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Toxoplasmosis is one of the main dangerous infective diseases and its diagnosis especially in the acute phase is very important. At this phase, the serum levels of the acute phase proteins such as CRP and HS-CRP increase and evaluating these proteins is one of the main indexes for diagnosis of the acute phase of infectious disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum level of HS-CRP in patients with acute myocardial toxoplasmosis. Materials and Methods: This survey was based on comparative study. After detecting acuteness of this disease using ELISA method, 48 serum samples of non-infected people and 48 serum samples of patients with acute myocardial toxoplasmosis was the first step of this survey. Then the measurement of HS-CRP serum level has been done with auto analyzer instrument and charts have been delineated by excel 2010 and SPSS 19 software. Results: The HS-CRP serum level in patients with acute myocardial toxoplasmosis was 1388 mg/dl and the HS-CRP serum level in non-infected people was 5.3 mg/dl. Current results showed increase in level of HS-CRP in serum samples in acute phase of toxoplasmosis. Conclusion: Acute phase of many infection diseases such as myocardial toxoplasmosis increases some Factors, Such As HS-CRP; which in this regard HS-CRP is an important factors which can be considered as an important factor for diagnosis of this type of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) induces innate immune activation. It can present with cerebral calcifications and hepatosplenomegaly mimicking congenital infections. The present case report discusses the diagnosis and treatment of a case of fetal cardiomyopathy whose postnatal symptoms resembled TORCH (toxoplasmosis, other agents, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes and syphilis) infection. The mother had a history of two lost pregnancies due to fetal cardiomyopathy and the same was identified in the current pregnancy. At 34 weeks of gestation, the mother delivered a late preterm male neonate due to intrauterine growth restriction weighing 1590 g with respiratory distress and cardiomyopathy at birth. The neonate had cerebral calcifications, hepatosplenomegaly and thrombocytopenia. As the infant's TORCH IgM titre was negative, pseudo-TORCH syndrome similar to AGS was suspected. Clinical exome sequencing of the parents and fetus identified no genes for hydrops fetalis or fetal cardiomyopathy; however, the AGS TREX1 gene was identified in the neonate, while additional symptoms resembled TORCH infection. The neonate was discharged and has shown improvement with oral baricitinib treatment for the last 9 months., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: in order to contribute to the improvement of the management of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Cameroon, performance of two techniques commonly used in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis was evaluated., Methods: a total of 541 pregnant women were recruited from seven hospitals in two Regions of Cameroon, of which 63% (341: Batch1) were from health facilities (HF) using a immunochromatographic technique (ICT) as a screening test for toxoplasmosis, and 37% (200: Batch2) from those using an immunoenzymatic technique (IEZ). On each sample, Ig (Immunoglobulin) G (IgG) and IgM were tested by three techniques: a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT), an Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and a Vidas Enzyme-linked fluorescent assay taken as reference (VIDAS/ELFA). The results from the health facilities were recorded., Results: for the IgG assay, our two laboratory methods were sensitive (96.0% and 97.5%) and specific (64.2% and 59.7%). Their concordance rates with the VIDAS/ELFA reference were above 60% (P<0.001). Moreover, for the IgM assay, the performances of the two methods were equivalent: Se= 18.2%, Sp= 99.4% with a low concordance rate (Kappa = 0.24). Considering the results provided by the selected hospitals, the ELISA used in Batch2 showed similar performances to the two techniques used in reference lab while the performances were low for the RDT used in Batch1., Conclusion: both methods showed similar performances (good for (IgG) and poor for IgM). However, for the immunochromatographic method, differences in performance were found between our results and those provided by the selected health facilities. These differences suggest a harmonization of diagnostic techniques for toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Cameroonian health facilities., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Jacqueline Félicité Yéngué et al.)

Toxoplasma gondii is widely distributed in humans and other animals including birds throughout the world. However, little is known of the molecular epidemiology and genotypes of T. gondii infecting quails in China. Therefore, the present study was conducted to characterize T. gondii genotypes in common quails in China. During December 2014 to October 2015, a total of 390 muscle tissue samples of common quails were collected and the T. gondii B1 gene was amplified using a nested PCR, and the positive samples were genotyped at 11 genetic markers (SAG1, 5′-and 3′-SAG2, alternative SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and Apico) using multilocus polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technology. Twenty-five of the 390 common quails (6.41%) were tested positive by nested PCR. Three DNA samples from the 25 positive samples were typed completely and were identified as ToxoDB Genotype #9 ( http://toxodb.org/toxo/ ). The results of the present study indicated that T. gondii infection in common quails was common in China, which provided the information of T. gondii genetic diversity in this host species. This is the first genetic characterization of T. gondii isolates from quails in China, which is useful for monitoring and controlling the T. gondii infection in quails, other animals and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of the accurate immune status of pregnant women is crucial in order to prevent congenital toxoplasmosis. Equivocal results with conventional serological techniques are not uncommon when IgG titers are close to the cut-off value of the test, so that a confirmatory technique is needed. For this purpose, we developed a homemade immunoblot (IB) using soluble extract of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites and assessed it by testing 154 positive, 100 negative, and 123 equivocal sera obtained from pregnant women. In order to select the more valuable bands in terms of sensitivity and specificity, we used the Youden Index (YI). The highest YIs were those given by the 32, 36, 98, 21, and 33 bands. The simultaneous presence on the same blot of at least 3 bands showed a much higher YI (0.964) and was adapted as the positivity criterion. The analysis of results showed that our homemade IB correlated well with the commercial LDBIO Toxo II IgG® kit recently recommended as a confirmatory test (96.7% of concordance). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The synthesis/characterization of polystyrene and carboxylated latexes is described. [•] The acute phase recombinant-antigen P35 (P35Ag) of Toxoplasma gondii was produced. [•] Physical adsorption and chemical coupling of P35Ag onto latex particles were studied. [•] Antigenicity of P35Ag coupled onto the particles surface was evaluated. [•] Acute sera were differentiated from negative and chronic sera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The preliminary diagnostic utility of two mixtures of Toxoplasma gondii recombinant antigens (rROP1+rSAG2 and rROP1+rGRA6) in IgG ELISA and IgG avidity test has been evaluated. A total of 173 serum samples from patients with toxoplasmosis and seronegative people were examined. The sensitivity of IgG ELISA for rROP1+rSAG2 and rROP1+rGRA6 was 91.1% and 76.7%, respectively, while the reactivity for sera from patients where acute toxoplasmosis was suspected was higher, at 100% and 95.4%, respectively, than for people with chronic infection, at 88.2% and 70.6%. In this study a different trend in avidity maturation of IgG antibodies for two mixtures of proteins in comparison with native antigen was observed. The results suggest that a new IgG avidity test using the mixtures of recombinant antigens may be useful for the diagnosis of difficult-to-identify phases of toxoplasmosis. For this reason, selected mixtures after the additional tests on groups of sera with well-defined dates of infection could be used as a better alternative to the native antigens of the parasite in the serodiagnosis of human T. gondii infection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The differentiation between acute and latent forms of the Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection is still considered as a complicated issue. This study was aimed to elucidate the status of infection in the blood donors and the probable importance of blood transfusion in the transmission of the infection through detecting both immunological and genetic markers of acute and latent infection. Methods: Totally 235 blood samples from blood donors were collected. The levels of anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were examined by specific ELISA kits. cDNA were synthesized from total extracted mRNA molecules from the serum samples and SAG1 gene, specific for tachyzoite form, were amplified using Real-Time PCR technique. Demographic information of study subjects including their gender, age, job, and habitat were recorded. Results: Out of 235 serum samples, 80 (34.04%) and 4 (1.71%) were positive regarding anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. Real-Time PCR results showed that 14 out of 200 (6.97%) of blood donor had mRNA molecules of SAG1 gene. The positive results of Real-Time PCR of SAG1 in female gender and housekeepers were significantly higher than those of male gender and other job categories. Conclusion: The prevalence of chronic and acute infection is high in Iranian blood donors. Additionally, evaluation of antibodies could not be reliable, because several donors negative for anti-T. gondii IgM antibodies had detectable SAG1 mRNA molecules. Hence, it seems that molecular diagnostic tests are essential to detect acute infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:There are only very few reports of cervical toxoplasma lymphadenitis being diagnosed exclusively via fine-needle aspiration cytology (with serology).Case report:We describe a case of toxoplasma lymphadenitis that was successfully diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration cytology. The case involved a male patient who was immunocompromised as a result of recurrent acute myelogenous leukaemia with cervical lymphadenopathy. The biopsy showed typical features of a well-defined pseudocyst containing Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites.Conclusion:Toxoplasma lymphadenitis is a common cause of lymph node enlargement. Fine-needle aspiration cytology is a useful method for diagnosing and differentiating toxoplasma lymphadenitis from more serious causes of lymphadenopathy, such as metastatic lymphadenopathy or lymphoma. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is often complicated by the lack of specific clinical symptoms or postmortem features, in humans and other animals. The only diagnostic test described so far for the serological diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii in marine mammals is the modified agglutination test (Dubey et al., Am J Vet Res 48(8):1239-1243, ). The development of more sensible and specific immunological techniques requires specific antibodies, which are currently unavailable in the scientific market. Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) is one of the most widely used methods for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in humans (Auer et al., Parasitol Res 12:965-970, ). In order to develop and apply this technique to the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus), immunoglobulins were firstly purified using ion-exchange chromatography. The purified immunoglobulins were then injected in New Zealand rabbits in order to obtain polyclonal antibodies. These antisera were validated by the IIF technique, using as controls serum samples of dolphins infected by Toxoplasma. The results were visualized using antirabbit IgG labeled with fluorescein. This newly developed and specific serological assay was then tested with the dolphin collection of Loro Parque, Tenerife, Spain (group I), and L'Oceanogràfic of Valencia, Spain (group II). The obtained results in this study showed that none of the dolphins from group 1 were infected by T. gondii and two animals were positive in group 2. Furthermore, we conclude that this study has produced antibodies with high specificity against dolphin immunoglobulins and an IIF method which may be used as immunological diagnostic tools, especially for the serological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Early, accurate and effective diagnosis of toxoplasmosis can make an important contribution to the prevention and control of disease, especially in people who are at risk. In this study, two commonly used genomic repeats of Toxoplasma gondii, RE (GenBank accession number AF146527) and B1, were compared to each other in nested-PCR assay. Five hundred and thirty-five blood samples from children with leukemia were tested for the presence of T. gondii antibodies using enzyme immunoassays. One hundred and ten DNA samples of these patients (50 IgM+, IgG+, 10 IgM−, IgG+, and 50 IgM−, IgG−) were analyzed by nested-PCR. The specificity of two nested PCR assays was determined using the DNA samples of other parasites and human chromosomal DNA. As a result, 82% (41/50) and 68% (34/50) of the IgM+, IgG+ samples were positive on duplicate RE and B1-nested PCR analyses, respectively. None of the 10 IgM−, IgG+ seropositive samples was detected positive after testing RE and B1-nested PCR assays in duplicate. One (2%) of the 50 seronegative samples was positive by duplicate RE-nested PCR but none of them were positive by duplicate B1-nested PCR. The detection limit of the RE-nested PCR assay was 640fg of T. gondii DNA whereas this rate for B1-nested PCR was 5.12pg of the DNA template. No cross-reactivity with the DNA of other parasites and human chromosomal DNA was found. The results indicate that an RE-based nested PCR assay is more sensitive than B1 genomic target, of those tested, for detection of T. gondii. It is noteworthy that in comparison with B1-nested PCR, RE-nested PCR could detect the T. gondii DNA in seronegative samples too. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

'Orphan' zoonotic diseases attract disproportionately low scientific and public health attention for the impact that they can have. This article pulls together information on their health burden in the UK from routine and enhanced data sources. These diseases are heterogeneous in nature; some have very low case numbers (e.g. hydatid disease), whilst others affect hundreds of patients each year (e.g. toxoplasmosis). The number of deaths attributed to orphan zoonoses is relatively low, and the majority recorded in this article were caused by toxoplasmosis. There is a clear issue of under-reporting and under-diagnosis in the data sets presented, and further work should be carried out to obtain more accurate estimates of the prevalence of zoonotic infections. Joint human and veterinary studies are especially important for these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis, one of the most common infectious diseases among humans and livestock, with its operating Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoa intracellular parasites, may cause serious infections in humans and animals to be domesticated. Epidemiologic studies show Toxoplasma antibodies in the serum for at least 1/3 adult population in most countries, however, previous infection and spread of organisms represents a broad and powerful contact and ability of Toxoplasma to infect humans. Serologic tests for the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis are often the size of the antibodies used. Objective: Prevalence of Serum Antibodies (IgM and IgG) Toxoplasma gondii in Guilan by ELISA Method Materials and Methods: In this descriptive and analytical study, 800 sera of individuals referred to the medical diagnostic laboratories in Guilan in 1391 were randomly selected, and using ELISA, IgG and IgM antibodies against Toxoplasmosis were measured. Results: Based on the results of total 800, of the 301 men and 499 women, 261 (62/32 percent) had IgG antibody against a Toxoplasmosis of IgM antibody and all were negative. Population of men (9/87 percent) and women (22/75%) of IgG antibody were detected. Using chi square test, no significant relationship was found between antibody prevalence and age, sex, job location and no history of contact with pets. Conclusion: The results confirm the necessary test to diagnose toxoplasmosis. Promotion of health awareness among people can also reduce the risk of toxoplasmosis. Conflict of interest: non declared [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Toxoplasma gondii is one of the world's most common parasites. Primary infection of the mother during pregnancy can lead to transmission to the fetus with risks of brain and eye lesions, which may cause lifelong disabilities. France instituted a national program based on monthly retesting of susceptible pregnant women to reduce the number of severe cases through prompt antenatal and postnatal treatment and follow-up., Objective: To evaluate the ability of the French prenatal retesting program to reduce the lifetime costs of congenital toxoplasmosis., Methods: We measured and then compared the costs and benefits of screening vs. not screening using decision-tree modelling. It included direct and indirect costs to society of treatment and care, and the lifetime lost earnings of children and caregivers. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was carried out., Findings: Total lifetime costs per live born child identified as congenitally infected were estimated to be €444 for those identified through prenatal screening vs €656 for those who were not screened. Estimates were robust to changes in all costs of diagnosis, treatment, and sequelae., Interpretation: Screening for the prevention of the congenital T. gondii infection in France is cost saving at €212 per birth. Compared with no screening, screening every pregnant woman in France for toxoplasmosis in 2020 would have saved the country €148 million in addition to reducing or eliminating the devastating physical and emotional suffering caused by T. gondii. Our findings reinforce the conclusions of other decision-analytic modelling of prenatal toxoplasmosis screening., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Sawers et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The high seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Blood Banks could be a potential risk for contamination of blood recipients. The discovery of new biomarkers may help to distinguish between seropositive and seronegative donors. This study determined the seroprevalence and profile of systemic immune biomarkers associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection among blood donors from Southern Brazil. Peripheral blood was collected from 510 blood donors (52.2 % male; mean age: 36.61), 310, and 200 from Erechim, and Chapecó municipalities, respectively. Specific Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were detected by Eletrochemioluminescence. Nested PCR and qPCR were performed to detectToxoplasma gondii DNA. Twenty-seven inflammatory factors were analyzed using a high-performance Luminex assay. Among 310 blood donors from Erechim, 44.5 % (138/310) were IgM(-)/IgG(+), and 1.3 % (4/310) were IgM(+)/IgG(+), while out of 200 blood donors from Chapeco, 42.5 % (85/200) were IgM(-)/IgG(+), and 2 % (4/200) were IgM(+)/ IgG(+). We did not find Toxoplasma gondii DNA in the samples analyzed by Nested PCR and qPCR.Additionally, IgM(-)/IgG(+) donors presented higher levels ofdistinct systemic mediators, and were indicated to be high producers of several systemic mediators (CCL11, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CXCL10, IL-1β, IL-17, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-9, IL-13, IL-10, IL-1Ra, vascular endothelial growth factor/VEGF, platelet-derived growth factor/PDGF, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor/GM-CSF, and IL-7). However, IgM(+)/IgG(+) donors were found as high producers of CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL4, IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-9, IL-13, and PDGF, while IgM(-)/IgG(-) donors showed unaltered levels for the most soluble mediators evaluated. These distinct biomarker signatures might help identify potential factors to distinguish between IgM(-) and IgM(+) donors., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Congenital toxoplasmosis is reportable disease in Europe. To prevent it antibody serological tests were introduced in several European countries as a part of screening programmes. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) avidity index testing is one of these tests for diagnosing acute infection with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) in pregnant women. However, a low or moderate IgG avidity index can give inconclusive results for predicting woman's status. From June 2012 until the end of 2014, 17,990 women were included in the national screening program to prevent congenital toxoplasmosis. One hundred and twenty-six women were consecutively included in the study because they had low or moderate IgG avidity. Every woman with possible acute toxoplasmosis was followed up every month till delivery. Fifty-eight of 126 (46%) women got infected in months before current pregnancy, 39 women (31%) were infected early in pregnancy. Twenty-nine pregnant women of 126 (23%) got infected in the second/third trimester of pregnancy. New cut off for IgG avidity index was 0.11. With this cut off, we were able to exclude T. gondii acute infection in the first trimester with very good diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.95, 95% confidence Interval (CI) 0.91-0.99, sensitivity 0.95, specificity 0.86). If an IgG avidity index above 0.11 is measured in a woman's serum and she is in the first trimester of pregnancy, then a odds ratio (OR) for acute infection with T. gondii is below 1 (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.05-0.25, P < 0.0001). If we measure IgG avidity index that is ≥ 0.11 in the first trimester of pregnancy, we can exclude infection with T. gondii with good diagnostic accuracy in our cohort of women. With a new cut off we could reduce number of invasive procedures such as amniocentesis and put less pregnant women in distress.

Hemophagocytic syndrome is a rare life-threatening disorder that can be triggered by various conditions such as HIV infection and opportunistic agents. We report a case of disseminated toxoplasmosis complicated with severe hemophagocytic syndrome and revealing an unknown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The patient presented with multiple organ failure in intensive care unit. Once diagnosed, he benefitted from etoposide infusion, administration of specific anti-toxoplasmosis treatments and secondary antiretroviral therapy. He was alive at intensive care unit discharge and returned home with little sequalae. This case illustrates both the importance of rapid investigations of hemophagocytic syndrome etiologies in HIV positive patients and the necessity to prompt etoposide and specific treatments in order to improve potentially dramatic outcomes., (Copyright © 2022 Société Nationale Française de Médecine Interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: It has been generally believed that women who exposed to Toxoplasma gondii before pregnancy and have anti-T. gondii IgG antibody are immunized and their newborns will be protected from congenital infection. This study is aimed to investigate the role of T. gondii infection in spontaneous abortion through serological and molecular methods in southern Iran., Study Design: Blood samples were taken from 50 spontaneously aborted mothers and anti-T. gondii antibodies were assessed using conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and avidity ELISA methods. The placenta and blood samples of aborted women were used for detection of the parasite's DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method targeting the RE gene. The parasite genotypes were determined by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method using SAG3 and GRA6 genes., Results: IgG antibody was detected in 28% (14/50) of mothers, but all samples were negative for IgM antibody. In the avidity ELISA test, 26% (13/50) of the samples had a high avidity index, suggesting chronic infection, while a low avidity index was detected in one case (2%), which suggests acute infection. The parasite's DNA was detected in 18% (9/50) and 14% (7/50) of blood and placenta samples, respectively. All DNA positive samples were IgG positive. All isolates were belonged to the T. gondii type III genotype., Conclusion: The results suggest that T. gondii seropositive women are not protected from congenital transmission. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously until further studies will be confirmed these results., (© 2022 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

Humans are exposed to Toxoplasma gondii infection as pet cats gradually become family members and represent an increasing public health risk worldwide. Toxoplasmosis diagnosis constitutes an important measure for disease prevention and control. In this study, real-time fluorescence quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (qLAMP) and visual LAMP detection technologies were established to conduct tests of T. gondii based on the membrane DNA extraction method, and the optimal detection mix was determined by adding the protective reagent trehalose and screening the concentrations of Mg 2+ and dNTPs. Paraffin and lyophilization were used to reduce and even remove aerosol pollution, constructing a detailed anti-contamination protocol. Based on the positive standard plasmid DNA, the LODs of qLAMP and visual LAMP were 92 copies/μL and 92 copies/μL, and the standard curve of qLAMP was Y=2.9503X+20.8992 with R 2 = 0.99. The applicability of the qLAMP and visual LAMP assays in disease diagnosis was assessed by evaluating 200 clinical cat faeces samples. The assays showed good diagnostic consistency, with kappa values of 1.0 and 0.99 compared with Taq Man qPCR, respectively. Compared with Taq Man qPCR, the diagnostic specificity/sensitivity of qLAMP and visual LAMP were 100%/100% and 100%/80%, respectively. The qLAMP and visual LAMP assays reported here are rapid and simple tests without extensive sample preparation and have a short turnaround time within 60 min, making them suitable for point-of-care testing., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Cao, Zhang, Yin, Zhang, Yu, Wen and Ni.)

Objective: In this study, it was aimed to retrospectively evaluate the anti- Toxoplasma IgG, IgM and avidity index results of patients who were requested for Toxoplasma serology in our hospital between 01.01.2017 and 31.12.2021., Methods: Anti- Toxoplasma antibodies are studied with Abbott Architect İ2000 SR device that using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay method (CMIA), according to the company's recommendations. The age, gender, nationality, sending clinic/polyclinic, and pregnancy status information of patients were scanned from the hospital system., Results: In the five-year period between 2017 and 2021, 29.58% of anti- Toxoplasma IgG tests requested from 12694 patients and 0.94% of anti- Toxoplasma IgM tests sent from 12546 patients were found positive. It is striking that the number of test requests is higher in women. IgG positivity is highest in women in the age group of 30-39 (9.97%), and in men in the age group of 60-69 (6.97%). IgM positivity is higher in both women and men in the 20-29 age group (0.48% and 0.38%, respectively). Anti- Toxoplasma IgG was positive in 27.78% and IgM in 0.64% of the pregnant women. IgG positivity in Turkish and Syrian pregnant women were determined as 25.88%; 47.10% and IgM positivity as 0.49% and 1.83%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.001)., Conclusion: Our anti- Toxoplasma antibody positivity was found to be compatible with studies conducted in different centers in our country. The fact that IgM positivity in women is high in the 20-29 age group, which is the childbearing age, emphasizes the importance of screening before and during pregnancy. Consistent with other studies in the literature, the rate of seropositivity in Syrian pregnant women was found to be higher than Turkish. This is important in terms of showing the effect of socio-cultural behaviors on prevalence.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors for toxoplasmosis among pregnant women in southern Taiwan and to determine the clinical benefits of screening for the same., Materials and Methods: The current study included 458 pregnant women who received prenatal care from the first trimester at the Kaohsiung and Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals during the time period from 2014 to 2015. Serological tests performed to detect the presence of Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies. Amniocentesis was scheduled and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect Toxoplasma DNA. Moreover, the maternal characteristics and risk factors, perinatal outcomes related to the seropositivity for Toxoplasma infection were analyzed., Results: Among the pregnant patients included in the current study, 39/458 (8.5%) were IgG+ and 2/458 (0.6%) were IgM+. The present study analyzed the maternal characteristics and risk factors, perinatal outcome pertaining to the IgG seropositive group by means of the multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a female predominance (10.8%), compared to the males (6.4%), (adjusted OR = 0.48 (95%, 0.24-0.98), P = 0.043∗). The number cases with gestational age above 37 weeks at the time of delivery was significantly lower, compared to the cases below 37 weeks (adjusted OR = 0.32 (0.12-0.94), P = 0.038∗). Among one case with low avidity cannot exclude recent infection, the amniocentesis did not show any evidence of vertical transmission., Conclusion: The scenario may not warrant general screening and the results will not influence the clinical decisions. Although the present study failed to identify the maternal risk factors related to Toxoplasma infection, the results imply that health education is essential, owing to the slightly higher rate of preterm delivery in the IgG seropositive group., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The infection is generally asymptomatic and the most severe cases occur in immunosuppressed patients. The main route of transmission is the ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts of the parasite. The objective of this work was the standardization of the PCR for the detection of the T. gondii B1 gene in meat and water samples and cloning of the product for use as a control., Methods: The optimal reaction conditions of the different components of the PCR were determined and the technique was used to detect DNA from meat and water samples. Bands were purified and cloned into a pGEM-T-Easy vector and used as a control in the PCR., Results: Optimal PCR conditions were; 100 µM dNTP, 0.4 µM primers, and 0.5 U Taq polymerase. The product obtained from the PCR was cloned with a simple cloning strategy with efficient results. With the standardized PCR and using the cloned DNA as a control, T. gondii DNA was detected in 90% of the positives samples of meat and water and there was no amplification in the negative samples., Conclusions: The PCR assay standardized in this study was demonstrated to be an effective technique to detect T. gondii DNA in meat and water samples. The cloning of PCR product and its application as a control in molecular diagnosis of toxoplasmosis might improve the reproducibility of this method and avoid the use of patient samples or cultures, which present several limitations., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.)

Objective: To report on a unique combination of cerebral toxoplasmosis and ocular toxoplasmosis in an HIV-positive patient in Slovakia., Methods: A 35-year-old heterosexual patient who presented with headache and major seizures underwent computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Based on clinical findings, serological tests for toxoplasmosis were performed on serum and ocular fluid specimens. PCR was also used to detect Toxoplasma gondii and cytomegalovirus DNA. Goldmann and Witmer coefficient calculation was applied to demonstrate the synthesis of intraocular IgG antibodies., Results: CT and MRI revealed cystic lesions suspected of metastasis in the occipital and temporal regions, and we searched for the primary tumor. After vision loss in the left eye, which rapidly progressed to complete blindness, an eye examination detected macular edema. Anti-edema treatment was initiated. HIV positivity with a very low CD4 T-cell count (20/&#956;L) was found, and the viral load was 100 400 HIV-RNA copies/ml. The serum was positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies (&gt; 200 IU/mL), IgM negative, and IgA borderline. As toxoplasmic encephalitis and retinitis were suspected, antitoxoplasmic therapy with pyrimethamine, spiramycin, and folinic acid was started. The ophthalmologist considered cytomegalovirus retinitis, which was not confirmed by serology or PCR. In contrast, the presence of IgG antibodies in ocular fluid and serum with the calculation of the Goldmann-Witmer coefficient (GW = 32) as well as PCR DNA positivity pointed to Toxoplasma gondii as the etiological agent. Follow-up MRI scan confirmed regression of the pathological lesions, neurological deficit also improved, CD4 T-lymphocytes increased above 200/&#956;L, but blindness of the left eye persisted., Conclusion: CT and MRI scans offered no clue as to Toxoplasma etiology of the brain and eye involvement in an HIV-positive patient, which was only confirmed by laboratory tests. Due to the delay in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, time from the epileptic seizure to treatment initiation was 16 days, which assumedly caused irreversible blindness in the patient.

The author discusses a study published within the issue which described an outbreak of acute toxoplasmosis in nine men who participated in a weekend retreat with barbecue. Topics include the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in the U.S. among white-tailed deer, clinical symptoms and laboratory signs which were different from those previously described in toxoplasmosis, and the seroprevalance of toxoplasma antibodies in humans in the U.S.

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay allows rapid diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection. In the present study, the LAMP assay was evaluated using blood from both naturally and experimentally infected pigs. The sensitivity of the LAMP assay was compared with that of Q-PCR. Both assays detected T. gondii in the blood of experimentally infected pigs, with 100% agreement. In infected blood samples, the parasite was detected as early as 2 days post-infection and reached a peak in 3-5 days. In 216 field serum samples, the detection rates of LAMP and Q-PCR assays were 6.9% and 7.8%, respectively. This result indicates that the sensitivity of the LAMP assay was slightly lower than that of the Q-PCR assay. However, the LAMP may be an attractive diagnostic method in conditions where sophisticated and expensive equipment is unavailable. This assay could be a powerful supplement to current diagnostic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite with a broad host range of most warm-blooded mammals including humans, of which one-thirds of the human population has been infected worldwide which can cause congenital defects, abortion, and neonatal complications. Here, we developed a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for T. gondii infection. Antigenic N-terminal half of the major surface antigen (SAG1) was linked with intrinsically unstructured domain (IUD) of dense granule protein 2 (GRA2). The recombinant GST-GRA2-SAG1A protein was successfully expressed and purified as 51 kDa of molecular weight. Furthermore, antigenicity and solubility of the rGST-GRA2-SAG1A protein were significantly increased. The overall specificity and sensitivity of GST-GRA2-SAG1A loaded RDT (TgRDT) were estimated as 100% and 97.1 % by comparing with ELISA result which uses T. gondii whole cell lysates as the antigen. The TgRDT tested with Uganda people sera for field trial and showed 31.9% of seroprevalence against T, gondii antibody. The TgRDT is proved to be a kit for rapid and easy to use with high accuracy, which would be a suitable serodiagnostic tool for toxoplasmosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance values of available techniques used in serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis are satisfactory but they raise problems of equivocal and discordant results for very low IgG titers. Recently marketed, LDBio-Toxo II IgG Western blot (IB) showed an excellent correlation with the dye test. We estimated the proportion of equivocal and discordant results between the enzyme immunoassay Platelia Toxo IgG (EIA-IgG) and fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and assessed the usefulness of the IB as a confirmatory test. Out of 2,136 sera collected from pregnant women, 1,644 (77.0%) tested unequivocally positive and 407 (19.0%) were negative in both EIA-IgG and FAT. The remaining 85 (4%) sera showed equivocal or discordant results. Among them, 73 (85.9%) were positive and 12 (14.1%) were negative in IB. Forty-one (89.1%) equivocal sera in EIA-IgG and 46 (86.8%) equivocal sera in FAT were positive in IB. Reducing the cut-off values of both screening techniques improved significantly their sensitivity in detecting very low IgG titers at the expense of their specificity. In conclusion, equivocal results in routine-used techniques and their discordance in determination of the immune status in pregnancy women were not uncommon. IB test appeard to be highly useful in these situations as a confirmatory technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasmosis, a worldwide zoonosis caused by a coccidian parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is more often asymptomatic in immunocompetent patients. We report the case of a 38-year-old immunocompetent male with a polymyositis as the presenting manifestation of T. gondii infection. The patient was hospitalized for a 30-day history of fever (T max 39.5°C), muscle pain, and progressive weakness of the muscles. A diagnosis of polymyositis was made, and he was started on corticosteroid treatment, which caused no reduction of symptoms. After finding a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for T. gondii, together with additional clinical findings, a diagnosis of acute toxoplasmosis was made. Specific treatment with pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine was started, with a progressive reduction of symptoms and normalization of laboratory tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To estimate the global burden of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT), which results from infection of pregnant women with Toxoplasma gondii. Methods The authors systematically searched 9 major databases for published and unpublished sources and established direct contact with the authors of source materials. Searches were country-specific. To be included, studies had to report on the incidence of CT, on positivity to Toxoplasma-specific IgM in infants and pregnant women (including seroconversion results) or on positivity to Toxoplasma-specific IgG in the general population. Various modelling techniques were used, depending on the country-specific data available, to estimate the CT incidence and burden in each country. These data were then synthesized into an estimate of the global incidence of CT and of the global burden of CT in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Findings The global annual incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis was estimated to be 190 100 cases (95% credible interval, CI: 179 300-206 300). This was equivalent to a burden of 1.20 million DALYs (95% CI: 0.76-1.90). High burdens were seen in South America and in some Middle Eastern and low-income countries. Conclusion Congenital toxoplasmosis poses a substantial burden of poor health globally. Toxoplasmosis should be included in future updates of the global burden of disease and the corresponding data should be used to support public health interventions to reduce disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Toxoplasmosis is a high-profile zoonosis and pigs represent a risk to humans. [•] A new commercial ELISA to diagnose Toxoplasma gondii infections in pigs is evaluated. [•] A novel approach for test evaluation in the absence of a ‘gold standard’ is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection due to Toxoplasma gondii an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite. It is con­siderate one of the most common parasite worldwide. The contamination of the parasite is generally occurred via con­sumption of infected food or water or, undercooked contaminated meat. Toxoplasma gondii infection may lead to seri­ous illness when the organism is contracted while pregnancy or when it is reactivated in immune-suppressed persons. Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in humans is elaborated using various techniques such as detection of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, mouse inoculation, histological revelation of tachyzoites in tissue sections or smears of body fluid, but the detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA by molecular methods has revolutionized prenatal diagnosis of congenital toxo­plasmosis and in immunocompromised patients. In this paper we will discuss the parasite and different methods of diagnosis including the usefulness of molecular methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds and Objectives: Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease and its main way of transmission is placenta to fetus pathway. If this transmission occurs in the 3th month of pregnancy consequences such as abortion, central nerve system abnormality and ocular disorder may happen. Because of this issue, the precise detection of Toxoplasma Antibodies such as as IgG and IgM has utmost importance that contains ELISA & ELISA AVIDITY. Materials and Methods: In this survey the serum and amniotic fluid samples that were collected from 48 pregnant women were collected and measurements were performed by ELISA AVIDITY kit. Results: The results of this study showed that the ELISA AVIDITY techniques able to detect the toxoplasma infection and its temporal occurrence. Conclusion: In ELISA technique the only antibody that could be detected precisely is IgM; but in this new technique IgG antibody also is detected, and enable us to better estimate the transmission time during the pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The objective of this study was to evaluate the significance of maternal toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus ( CMV) and herpes simplex virus ( TORCH) screening in cases of fetal growth restriction ( FGR). Material and Methods The medical records of women carrying fetuses with FGR who underwent TORCH screening over a 10-year period were retrospectively reviewed for maternal and congenital TORCH infection. Women carrying fetuses with FGR routinely underwent serologic TORCH tests and systematic ultrasound evaluation for congenital abnormalities. If a congenital CMV infection was suspected, amniotic fluid, placenta or neonatal urine was used for CMV DNA detection by polymerase chain reaction. Results In 319 patients, no cases of maternal or congenital infection with toxoplasma, rubella, or herpes simplex virus were found. Conversely, six cases (1.8%) were diagnosed with congenital CMV infection, two of which had no structural abnormalities other than FGR. Conclusions A complete maternal TORCH screening for cases of FGR appears to be unnecessary. Although a maternal CMV test can be considered, the incidence of congenital CMV infection was found to be low in FGR cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diagnosis of some diseases is difficult due to invasive sampling. Urine has been candidate as a non-invasive and convenient alternative. It has many advantages and easy accessibility but some technical ills should be removed. Finding a suitable extraction method for improving urine DNA quantity and quality in altering invasive specimens for molecular diagnosis of some infectious diseases, was the main object of present research. Method: Toxoplasmosis was selected as an experimental model, regarding the congenital and ocular forms, its abundance and requirement to invasive sample for diagnosis. Samples prepared by adding some defined Toxoplasma gondii (RH strain) tachyzoites to normal urine. Several urine DNA extraction and purification methods comparatively were tested for finding the best one. The amount of extracted DNA assessed using Nanodrope spectrophotometer and a multiplex semi-nested PCR were designed for evaluating the results. Results: Urine samples with known number of tachyzoites were purified comparatively by five better methods. The results reviled that Cinnagen kit performed with more efficacies. It works well up to 1-5tachyzoites μl-1 of urine. The amount and quality of extracted DNA of more than 100 urine samples with defined tachyzoites were analyzed using a nested PCR method. Finally methods were enough sensitive to detect one tachyzoite DNA in final PCR reaction. Conclusion: This method was enough eligible and sensitive to perform molecular tests for different purposes of instance detecting toxoplasmosis by urine sample as a convenience and non invasive method; although it is better to perform some more experiments using patients samples comparing gold methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: This study describes toxoplasmosis in a by caught Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guinensis) from Paranaguá Bay, Paraná, Brazil. Interstitial pneumonia, multisystemic arteritis, multifocal adrenalitis and hepatitis were the primary lesions observed. These tissues had moderate to severe necrosis and mononuclear cells infiltration usually surrounded by tachyzoites and tissue cysts. Moderate lymphoid depletion was evident in the spleen. Toxoplasma gondii was positive by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural evaluation. Furthermore, the animal was negative for Morbillivirus by immunohistochemistry and had low levels of persistent organochlorines. There is evidence of environmental changes in the Paranaguá Bay that could justify the occurrence of toxoplasmosis in Guiana dolphin. The sewage run-off from main urban areas and the presence of domestic and wild felids in areas surrounding the bay could be a source of T. gondii oocysts from land to sea. Based on its habitat, the authors recommend this dolphin species as sentinels for the health of bays and estuaries where they occur. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]