Toxoplasmosis
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Toxoplasma in Irish Children Associated with Lack of Energy: 1276 Irish children aged 4-18 years found 12.8% (163/1276) had antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. Seroprevalence was higher in country children (16.6% (50/302)) than town children (10.2% (75/737)). The proportion testing positive increased with age. No association with cat, dog, bird, or fish ownership was found. Toxoplasma seropositivity was associated with a positive toxocara titer, having had a bitch whelp in the past two years, and having an unwormed dog at home. Lack of energy or tiredness in the last 12 months were the only clinical features associated with a positive titer. Arch Dis Child. 1997 Nov;77(5):406-9

Toxoplasmosis: Infection with the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii causes serious public health problems and is of great economic importance worldwide. Cats are the only animals that can have infected feces. The shedding lasts about 14 days. The organism completes its sexual cycle in the guts of members of the cat family. Soil where cats have defecated can remain infectious for up to 18 months. Birds and warm blooded animals can be infected. 50% of cats will be infected at some time although only 2% are shedding at any one time. Eating undercooked meat or unwashed fruits and vegetables can be sources of infection as can ingesting infected soil. A scratch or a bite will not spread the infection, since the organism must be ingested. Toxoplasmosis in humans is usually asymptomatic or with flu like symptoms. It can cause abortions in pregnant women or animals. Babies born of infectious mothers most often suffer eye damage which can lead to blindness or brain damage. If a mother is infected within two months of conception or during pregnancy, 40% of fetuses will become infected. Tommy's Baby Charity. http://www.tommys-campaign.org/pregnant/ToxoAnimals.pdf

High Maternal Titers Linked to Increased Risk of Schizophrenia in Offspring: In a nested case-control design, serological assays for Toxoplasma antibody on maternal serum specimens from pregnancies giving rise to 63 cases of schizophrenia and other schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 123 controls, the adjusted odds ratio of schizophrenia with high maternal Toxoplasma IgG antibody titers was 2.61. There was no association between moderate Toxoplasma Ig antibody titers and the risk of schizophrenia/spectrum disorders. Maternal exposure to toxoplasmosis and risk of schizophrenia in adult offspring. Brown AS, Schaefer CA, et al. New York State Psychiatric Institute. Am J Psychiatry. 2005 Apr;162(4):767-73.

Toxoplasma May Be a Significant Cause of Schizophrenia: Kozar in Poland reported antibodies to toxoplamosis in 495 (52%) of 961 psychiatric inpatients compared with 170 (25%) of 681 controls (Bull Inst Mar Trop Med Gdańsk 1953;5:134-45), and Roch and Varela in Mexico found antibodies in 836 (86%) of 973 patients with schizophrenia compared with finding antibodies in 30% of the general population (Rev Invest Salud Públ (Méx) 1966;26:31-49). Similar findings have been reported in Cuba; Leweke's study collected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the first-episode patients. The level of Toxoplasma antibody in the CSF of untreated patients was significantly higher than the normal controls (p < 0.0001)(Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2003). An increased rate of immunoglobulin (Ig) M (but not IgG) class antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in mothers with infants in whom schizophrenia developed later, suggesting that the mothers were experiencing an active infection or that they had persistent IgM antibodies, as described in other studies. T. gondii is of special interest because of its known affinity for brain tissue and its capacity for long-term infection starting in early life. Two studies have reported that adults who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder had a greater exposure to cats in childhood. In one study, 84 (51%) of the 165 affected versus 65 (38%) of the 165 matched controls had owned a house cat in childhood (p = 0.02)(Schizophr Bull 1995;21:167-71). In the other study, 136 (52%) of the 262 affected versus 219 (42%) of the 522 matched controls owned a cat between birth and age 13 (odds ratio 1.53; p < 0.007)(Schizophr Res 2000;46:17-23). France, which has a high prevalence of Toxoplasma-infected persons, was reported to have first-admission rates for schizophrenia approximately 50% higher than those in England (Br Med J 1993;307:489-92. Ireland has a high rate of toxoplasma-infected people in rural areas (Epid Infect 1990;105:565-70)with high rates of infection in hospital personnel. The area also has a high rate of schizophrenia (Am J Psychiatry 1984;141:966-70). E. Fuller Torrey is the leading researcher in the field. 30-60% of humans have been infected with Toxoplasma.

Toxoplasma Antibodies in Schizophrenia Linked to Big Increase in Death Rate in Small Study: Increased rates of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii have been found in individuals with schizophrenia. In a study of IgG class antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in 358 individuals with schizophrenia, during five years of follow-up, serological evidence of Toxoplasma was associated with a significantly 370% increased risk of dying of natural causes (P = .020) adjusted for age, gender, and other clinical and demographic variables. Toxoplasma gondii in Individuals With Schizophrenia: Association With Clinical and Demographic Factors and With Mortality. Dickerson F, et al. Sheppard Pratt, Baltimore , MD. Schizophrenia Bull 2007 Feb 20.

No Toxoplasma in Schizophrenic Brains Found: Using brain samples of 51 deceased schizophrenic patients, none had PCR evidence of toxoplasma infection and two had HHV-6 evidence. Herpesviruses and Toxoplasma gondii in orbital frontal cortex of psychiatric patients. Conejero-Goldberg C, Torrey EF, Yolken RH. Schizophr Res. 2003 Mar 1;60(1):65-9

Toxoplasmosis Infected Had Lower IQ and Novelty Seeking: In a Czech study of 857 military draftees, Those with Toxoplasma antibodies had lower IQs (p=.003) and less education (<.0000). Decreased level of psychobiological factor novelty seeking and lower intelligence in men latently infected with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii Dopamine, a missing link between schizophrenia and toxoplasmosis? Flegr J, Preiss M, Klose J, Havlicek J, Vitakova M, Kodym P. Biol Psychol. 2003 Jul;63(3):253-68.

Toxoplama in Cats, Chickens, Opossums, Capybaras, Pigs, Soil: Toxoplasma antibodies were found in 45% of Barcelona cats. More in feral cats or cats raised together with 28% of single domestic cats positive. Cats are the only hosts that excrete resistant oocysts. J Parasitol. 2003 Oct;89(5):1067-8. 65% of 29 free range chickens were positive in Argentina. J Parasitol. 2003 Oct;89(5):1063-4. 16% of 118 Ohio and Massachusetts chickens from widely scattered farms were positive and cats fed uncooked chicken meat often got infected. J Parasitol. 2003 Oct;89(5):1063-4; Exposure to undercooked meat is a risk factor (RR 1.6). Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2003 Mar-Apr;131(3-4):162-7; 20% of opossums positive in Brazil. J Parasitol. 2003 Aug;89(4):870-1; 70% of capybaras positive in Brazil study. J Parasitol. 2003 Aug;89(4):850; 0.3% Wyoming wild horses positives. J Parasitol. 2003 Aug;89(4):716-20; 92% of 55 pigs infected and passed unto cats feed undercooked pork. J Parasitol. 2002 Dec;88(6):1234-8; Contact with soil a risk factor. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2002 May;22(3):296-8; as has been drinking rain water. In Panama City, 13% of birds, and 22% of rats were infected. 

Toxoplasmosis in Dogs: Stray dogs (60.5%) in Trinidad had seroprevalence for toxoplasmosis than hunting dogs (30.5%) and domestic dogs (25.5%). Dogs that consumed home-cooked foods had a seroprevalence of 32.9% compared with those fed commercial dog foods (17.2%) and dogs fed both home-cooked and commercial foods (21.0%). Vet Parasitol. 2003 May 1;113(3-4):179-87; Among clinic patients, Polish dogs fed raw meat were significantly more frequently seropositive (65.2%) than those eating only commercial dry feed or cooked meat (25.7%). Pol J Vet Sci. 2002;5(4):231-5; The infection rate in Taiwanese dogs was 24.6%. Kaohsiung J Med Sci. 1998 Jun;14(6):387-91; The brain is the most infected organ in chickens. Vet Parasitol. 1997 May;69(3-4):203-10; 10% of coyotes were positive for Neospora and 62% for Toxoplasmosis with only 37% negative for both. U Alabama. J Parasitol. 1996 Aug;82(4):657-9

Toxoplasma Like Neospora in Dogs: Neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite that is closely related to Toxoplasma gondii. Dogs are a definitive host. Neosporosis in animals is characterized by encephalitis, abortion, and other conditions that resemble toxoplasmosis. Screening for antibodies in Wyoming human blood donors by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) tests and immunoblotting. Of 1,029 samples screened, 69 (6.7%) had titers of 1:100. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 1999 Sep;6(5):765-7. Neospora is an important cause of fetal loss in cows.