Toxoplasmosis
In most cases, toxoplasmosis doesn't cause any symptoms and the person isn't aware they'reinfected.
This is because the immune system isnormally strong enough to fight the infection and stop it causing serious illness.
However, some people will develop flu-like symptoms. There's alsoa risk of more serious problems ifa woman becomes infected while she's pregnant, or if someone with a weak immune system becomes infected.
About 10-20% of people infected with toxoplasmosis will develop symptoms similar to Bird flu or glandular fever , such as:
These symptoms are usually mild and will normally pass within a few weeks.
Toxoplasmosis can beserious if a woman becomes infected while she's pregnant or a few weeks before conceiving. This isbecause there's a chance the infection could be passed to her baby.
However, the risk of getting toxoplasmosisduringpregnancy is very low. In the UK, it's estimated that less than 5 in every 1,000 pregnant women will become infected for the first time.
A woman won't usually have any symptoms if she becomes infected during pregnancy, but if the infection spreads to her baby, it can cause:
Congenital toxoplasmosis can cause serious problems that are either noticeable from birth or develop several months or years later, such asbrain damage, hearing loss and vision problems.
Toxoplasmosis can cause serious problems and belife-threateningfor someone with a weakened immune systemas their body may not be able to fight off the infection.
Your immune systemmay be weakened if you:
If your immune system is weak, the infection could spread to organs such as the eyes, heart, lungs and brain. This can cause problems such as headaches , confusion, poor co-ordination, seizures (fits), difficulty breathing and vision problems.
Readabout the complications oftoxoplasmosis for more information.
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.