Toxoplasmosis
For most people, toxoplasmosis causes no or few symptoms and passes without any further problems. However, some people can develop serious complications.
Serious problems are more likely to develop if you become infected while you're pregnant or if you have a weak immune system.
Some of the main complications associated with toxoplasmosis are outlined below.
The parasite that causes toxoplasmosis can lie dormant (inactive) in the back of the eye (retina) for many years.
If it becomes active again for example, if youreceive treatment that weakens your immune system it can cause inflammation and scarring in the eye. This is known as ocular toxoplasmosis.
Ocular toxoplasmosis can affect one or both eyes and can cause:
Medications are usually given to treat the infection, and steroids are often used to reduce any swelling in your eye. The scarring caused by toxoplasmosis will not clear up, but treatmentmay prevent it getting worse.
If a woman becomes infected with toxoplasmosis for the first time during pregnancy or a few weeks before conceiving, there's a risk the infection could spread to her unborn baby. This is known as congenital toxoplasmosis.
Congenital toxoplasmosis can cause a range of problems that are either noticeable from birth or develop months or years later. The severity of the condition varies depending on when the mother became infected.
The baby's symptoms will usually be more severe ifthe mother is infected early on in the pregnancy, and less severe if they're infected later on.
Problems caused bycongenital toxoplasmosis can include:
Early treatment ofcongenital toxoplasmosismay help reduce the risk of serious or long-term problems, although it cannot reverse damage that has already occurred.
If you have a weakened immune system and you become infected with toxoplasmosis, the infection can spread to organs such as your eyes and brain because your immune system may not be able to fight off the infection.
If toxoplasmosis begins to affectthe brain, it can cause a serious and life-threatening infection called cerebral toxoplasmosis.
Signs and symptoms oftoxoplasmosis encephalitis and toxoplasmosis infections in people with immune deficiency can include:
Medication can be used to treat the infection and reduce swelling in the brain, although it may not be able to cure the condition completely.
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Read about toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can be dangerous for pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.
Read about the main symptoms of toxoplasmosis, including what problems the infection can cause during pregnancy and in people with weak immune systems.
Read about how you can get toxoplasmosis and whether the infection can be spread between people.
Read about the tests used to diagnose toxoplasmosis, including about testing in pregnancy.
Read about how toxoplasmosis is treated, including how the infection is treated in pregnant women and babies.
Read about the complications of toxoplasmosis that can occur if the infection spreads to the eyes or brain, or from a pregnant woman to her unborn child.
Read about what you can do to reduce your chances of becoming infected with toxoplasmosis.