The most successful parasites in the world today are Toxoplasma gondii. The tiny creature is capable of infecting any mammal or bird, and people all over the world are affected.
A person carries Toxoplasma for the rest of their lives. We do not have a drug that can eradicate the parasites from the body. There is no approved vaccine for humans.
Around the world, it is estimated 30 to 50 percent of people have been exposed to Toxoplasma. A survey of studies done at blood banks and pregnancy clinics in the 1970s found that the rate of infections was 30 percent.
A recent Western Australian study found that 66 percent of people were infectious.
The back of the eye can be scarred by this disease. Our new research looked for signs of disease in people who were otherwise healthy.
The primary host of Toxoplasma is the cat.
Cats catch parasites when they eat. They pass large numbers of parasites in their feces in a form that can survive for a long time in the environment, even during extreme weather.
After the animals are slaughtered for meat, parasites lodge in the muscle and live there for a while. Humans can become sick by eating this meat or by drinking water that has been licked by cats.
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The most important health stat is the rate of the disease caused by the infection, which is called toxoplasmosis.
The retina is a multi-layer nerve tissue that lines the eye. Infections can cause attacks of inflammation and scarring in the eye. This is a disease of the eye.
Medical research shows that ocular toxoplasmosis affects healthy adults. It can be more severe in people with a weakened immune system, or in pregnant people.
floaters and blurred vision are caused by an attack of active inflammation. There may be permanent loss of vision when inflammation progresses to scarring.
In a study of patients with ocular toxoplasmosis, we found that more than half of the eyes were irreversibly blind.
Eye doctors are familiar with managing toxoplasmosis. The extent of the problem is not widely known. The number of Australians with toxoplasmosis has never been quantified.
We wanted to investigate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in Australia, but it would be difficult to get funding for a major survey.
More than 5,000 baby boomers were photographed in Busselton, Western Australia, as part of the Busselton Healthy Ageing Study.
The photographs were taken to look for other eye diseases.
We estimated the prevalence of toxoplasmosis to be one in 150 Australians. It fits with the way people catch Toxoplasma.
Australia has a large population of feral cats. 50 percent of the global organic farming area is located in Australia.
Many Australians like to eat their red meat rare, putting them at risk.
To diagnose toxoplasmosis, a retina examination is needed.
The way Toxoplasma stimulates the cells of the eye's eye can make it easy to spot the redness of the eye's eye. A blood test can be used to make a diagnosis.
If the condition is mild, the doctor can let the immune system take care of the problem. A combination of drugs is usually prescribed.
It can be prevented if you are bitten by the toxoplasma. Toxoplasma may be found in meat sold in Australian supermarkets. It is possible to kill the parasites by cooking meat to an internal temperature of 66 degrees.
Fresh fruit and vegetables should be washed before eating, and drinking water from rivers or creeks should be avoided. Gloves should be worn when changing cat litter.
The World Health Organization and other international and national health bodies are promoting an approach called One Health for diseases that cross humans, animals and their environments. The sectors are working together to promote good health.
There is a reason to harness One Health to fight Toxoplasma in this country.
Justine R. Smith is the Professor of Eye and Vision Health at the Flinders University.
This article is free to use under a Creative Commons license. The original article is worth a read.
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