Stray animals pose threat of rabies Jun 14, 2008
Beyond rabies, which is the greatest concern in relation to public health, officials say feral cats can be carriers of plague, which has been spread from rodents to cats to humans; toxoplasmosis, which has been spread by free-roaming cats soiling water sources and Lyme disease, which has been spread by infected ticks brought into the home. T&D Staff Writer can be reached by e-mail at or by phone at 803-533-5551. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Unravelling The Mystery Of The Kitty Litter Parasite In Marine Mammals Jun 6, 2008
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite which causes toxoplasmosis, considered to be the third leading cause of death attributed to foodborne illness in the United States ... (May 12, 2007) Scientists have provided new insight into how the parasite which causes toxoplasmosis invades human cells ... Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease, primarily carried by cats. (Science Daily)
Perfect, Tiny Golden Nano-crown Made May 20, 2008
4, 2008) Researchers in Australia report development of a new type of gold nanoparticle that destroys the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a potentially serious disease acquired by handling the feces. (May 16, 2006) Gold atom clusters have been discovered to be the first known metallic hollow equivalents of the famous hollow carbon fullerenes known as buckyballs. (Science Daily)
Antenatal Tests Apr 23, 2008
Tests for infections like salmonella, Chlamydia, toxoplasmosis are also recommended. Pregnancy is a happy time. (Suite101.com)
Jakarta a purr-fect paradise for street cats Apr 11, 2008
Infection by the parasite, called toxoplasmosis, causes mild symptoms in adults but can be deadly to unborn children. "It can cause miscarriages, death of the fetus during the third semester or hydrocephallus in babies," Widiastuti said. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- City)
How sperm and egg fuse into one Mar 26, 2008
Other parasites, including those that cause toxoplasmosis and sleeping sickness, also have HAP2 genes. So why is HAP2 so common between different species, while the proteins involved in sperm-egg recognition are not. (Nature News Service)
My near death period Mar 26, 2008
Some time earlier, my brain had become infected with toxoplasmosis, a disease commonly seen in Aids patients. This had left a small scar, which began to cause epileptic seizures. (Guardian Unlimited)
Newly Developed Anti-malarial Medicine Treats Toxoplasmosis Mar 6, 2008
5, 2008) A new drug that will soon enter clinical trials for treatment of malaria also appears to be 10 times more effective than the key medicine in the current gold-standard treatment for toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by a related parasite that infects nearly one-third of all humans--more than two billion people worldwide ... A research team based at the University of Chicago Medical Center shows that the drug, known as JPC-2056, is extremely effective against Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite... (Science Daily)
Do Cats Reduce the Risk of a Heart Attack? Feb 26, 2008
I wonder if quiescent toxoplasmosis infection has some protective effect ... And I thought Mary s comment about toxoplasmosis and Pat s about allergies were definitely worth thinking about. (MedHeadlines)
Sperm Damage From Toxins Can Affect Children, Grandchildren Feb 22, 2008
(May 17, 2005) A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests an association between maternal exposure to toxoplasmosis and increased risk for developing schizophrenia in adult children. The study, which. (Science Daily)
Parasite Biology Clarified With New Model Feb 20, 2008
But the parasites it describes are all too familiar--causing malaria, toxoplasmosis and several other diseases ... (May 12, 2007) Scientists have provided new insight into how the parasite which causes toxoplasmosis invades human cells ... Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease, primarily carried by cats. (Science Daily)
Dog of a tapeworm infection is creeping up again Feb 20, 2008
Leads to toxoplasmosis, which can cause body aches, and possible birth defects in humans. send photos, videos ffs to 0424 SMS SMH (+61 424 767 764), or us. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
HIV patients get new drug in battle to keep Aids at bay Jan 28, 2008
Philippe, who works for the Terence Higgins Trust, had a viral load of 500,000 (more than 100,000 is considered high) and was in hospital with toxoplasmosis, ulcers and paralysis. After three months, he started a new regime that was the first to work his viral load is below 50. (Times Online)
Means Of Controlling A Parasite That Kills And Eats Human Cells Identified Jan 21, 2008
(May 12, 2007) Scientists have provided new insight into how the parasite which causes toxoplasmosis invades human cells. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease, primarily carried by cats ... 4, 2008) Researchers in Australia report development of a new type of gold nanoparticle that destroys the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a potentially serious disease acquired by handling the feces. (Science Daily)
Toxoplasma Infection Increases Risk Of Schizophrenia, Study Suggests Jan 19, 2008
4, 2008) Researchers in Australia report development of a new type of gold nanoparticle that destroys the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a potentially serious disease acquired by handling the feces ... 12, 2006) Women infected with dormant toxoplasmosis are more likely to give birth to boys than women who are Toxoplasma negative, according to research published in Springer's journal Naturwissenschaften this ... (May 17, 2005) A study in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests an... (Science Daily)
Can weedkillers whack human parasites? Jan 10, 2008
A paper in Nature shows that herbicides can attack the parasite that causes the tropical disease toxoplasmosis ... Whats toxoplasmosis ... In 1998, opthalmologist Rima McLeod of the University of Chicago Medical Center and her colleagues found that the herbicide glyphosate slowed the growth of the malaria and toxoplasmosis parasites. (Nature News Service)
Sonora's public library closing book on feral cat flap Jan 10, 2008
Diseases, such as toxoplasmosis, can be spread through their feces. The illness causes fever, aches and pains and is particularly dangerous for pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems. (The Union Democrat)
Disrupting common parasites' ability to 'talk' to each other reduces infection Jan 10, 2008
Infection with T. gondii, or toxoplasmosis, is perhaps most familiar to the general public from the recommendation that pregnant women avoid changing cat litter ... Scientists tested one of those herbicides against toxoplasmosis, labeling the test parasites with the firefly luciferase protein ... Sibley plans further studies to learn what other aspects of T. gondii biology are controlled by ABA and whether other inhibitors of ABA might make more potent treatments for toxoplasmosis. (EurekAlert!)
'Golden Bullet' Shows Promise For Killing Common Parasite Jan 4, 2008
4, 2008) Researchers in Australia report development of a new type of gold nanoparticle that destroys the parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, a potentially serious disease acquired by handling the feces of infected cats or eating undercooked meat. Their so-called "golden bullet" could provide a safer, more effective alternative for treating the disease than conventional drug therapy, they say. (Science Daily)
New ills of poverty Dec 30, 2007
Toxocariasis, cysticercosis and toxoplasmosis are hardly in the daily lexicon of Americans ... Toxoplasmosis, caused by a microscopic parasite carried commonly by cats, is found most among Latinos and African-Americans. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Opinion)
Report: More Poor Americans Infected With Worms Than Thought Dec 27, 2007
Another parasite, toxoplasmosis, is an important cause of congenital birth defects among Mexican Americans and African Americans. He said a study released in November by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that almost 14 percent of the U.S. population is infected with Toxocara roundworms, which dogs and cats can pass to people. (Fox News)
Poor Americans in the United States suffer hidden burden of parasitic and other neglected diseases Dec 26, 2007
In an article entitled Poverty and Neglected Diseases in the Other America, Professor Peter Hotez (George Washington University and the Sabin Vaccine Institute) says that there is evidence that the parasitic diseases toxocariasis, cysticercosis and toxoplasmosis as well as other neglected infections are very common in the United States, especially among poor and underrepresented minority populations living in inner cities and poor rural areas ... Cysticercosis, caused by the tapeworm Taenia... (EurekAlert!)
Merle Sande, 68, pioneer in treating AIDS Nov 27, 2007
One patient, a young gay man, had contracted a lethal case of toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease sometimes passed from cats to humans but unusual in a patient with a healthy immune system. Dr. Sande and others noted the appearance of pneumocystis - a form of pneumonia more commonly found in malnourished children or patients with weakened immune systems - in gay male patients in Los Angeles. (Boston Globe)
Ex-S.F. General doctor, AIDS treatment pioneer Merle Sande dead Nov 25, 2007
One man died from toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection rarely seen in patients with a healthy immune systems. Within two years of treating the first AIDS cases, Sande successfully lobbied for a ward at San Francisco General dedicated to AIDS patients - the first of its kind in the world - and also helped found an outpatient AIDS clinic at the hospital. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Certain Seizure Patients Need Emergency CT Scan Oct 31, 2007
"Infants under six months old with seizure may have brain abnormalities on their CT scans 50 percent of the time. In addition, evidence shows people with AIDS who are treated in the emergency room for their first seizure have high rates of brain abnormalities. Central nervous system toxoplasmosis, an infectious disease caused by a parasite, is also frequently found in AIDS patients," Harden said. Emergency CT scans should also be considered for adults and children with a first seizure, because... (MEDLINEplus)
Feral cats make home on Big Island's slopes Aug 23, 2007
Many of the wild cats are believed to carry multiple diseases, including toxoplasmosis, which could raise concern if they start blending into feral cat populations nearer to residential areas. Toxoplasmosis, a protozoan parasite, can cause severe illness in fetuses and adults with immune system weaknesses. (MSNBC -- Health)
Raising awareness on cerebral palsy, its treatment Aug 8, 2007
The disease it causes, toxoplasmosis, can have fatal effects on a fetus during pregnancy. The rubella virus causes rubella, or German measles. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- Features)
City's cat numbers rapidly expanding, pose disease threat Jul 21, 2007
Cats can carry the toxoplasmosis virus, which if transmitted to humans can cause difficulties in pregnancy and childbirth ... "It would pose a serious disease threat, things like toxoplasmosis and rabies," she said. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia -- City)
Possum magic is fading away Jul 17, 2007
Cars, cats, dogs, diseases such as toxoplasmosis and lack of appropriate food and shelter are taking their toll. "Close contact with people and pets poses real problems for possums," says Cathy Herbert, a biologist specialising in marsupial management at the University of NSW's school of biological, earth and environmental sciences. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Cats are cute -- but not in the park May 31, 2007
Worse, the institute reports, they "may also transmit new diseases to wild animals. For example, cats have spread the feline leukemia virus to mountain lions, and may have ... infected the endangered Florida panther with feline distemper and an immune deficiency disease. Plus, they can transmit rabies and toxoplasmosis to humans.". Cats can make wonderful pets, and millions of people love them. (Pensacola News Journal)
MSU scientist serving organization that helped his family May 22, 2007
Jay Radke is one of the MSU researchers who recently received widespread attention for their findings on the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and the disease it causes, toxoplasmosis ... Babies with toxoplasmosis can suffer a range of symptoms, including eye infection, an enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice and pneumonia. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Toxoplasmosis Infection Trick Revealed By Scientists May 13, 2007
Scientists have provided new insight into how the parasite which causes toxoplasmosis invades human cells. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease, primarily carried by cats ... It is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, whose foetuses can be infected via the placenta, and those with a weakened immune system, such as people infected with HIV. In severe cases, toxoplasmosis can cause damage to the brain and eyes, and even death. (Science Daily)
Killers in your backyard May 1, 2007
Animals that aren't killed outright often succumb later, through toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease that many cats carry in their saliva. "People call and say, 'Our cat has carried in a baby possum, but it's OK'," Page says. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Resident has cat concerns Apr 5, 2007
He also noted a Web page of the national Centers for Disease Control which notes that humans can contract rabies, cat scratch fever and toxoplasmosis from feral cats. The owner of the property that Blewett spoke about is familiar to city officials, including the city attorney and the Building g officer. (Pontiac Daily Leader, IL)
Study: cat brain parasite alters human behavior Apr 4, 2007
Although the disease it causes in humans is rarely dangerous, it is the reason pregnant women are sometimes told to avoid cat litter boxes (toxoplasmosis is risky for infants and others with compromised immune systems). Some scientists have suspected it might be linked to mental disorders such as schizophrenia and even neuroticism. (Xinhuanet, China)
Human brain parasite alters fear Apr 3, 2007
Scientists say discovery could shed light "on how fear is generated Most Popular Most Viewed Top Rated Most E-mailed By Charles Q. ChoiUpdated: 6:34 p.m. ET April 2, 2007Rats usually have an innate fear of cat urine. The fear extends to rodents that have never seen a feline and those generations removed from ever meeting a cat. After they get infected with the brain parasite Toxoplasma gondii, however, rats... (MSNBC -- Technology)
Put pets at ease with kids Mar 1, 2007
Put pet at ease before bringing home a newborn. Put pet at ease before bringing home a newborn. (AZCentral -- Families)
Major Medical Research Grant Feb 13, 2007
The parasite is the organism that causes Toxoplasmosis -- a sometimes fatal disease affecting the eyes, brain and other organs. It's primarily spread through undercooked meat or cat feces. (WCAX.com, VT)
Mind-Control Microbe Feb 7, 2007
Studies over the past few years have suggested that toxoplasmosis infections in humans, too, may cause behavioral changes from subtle shifts to outright schizophrenia ... U.S. Geological Survey biologist has linked high rates of toxoplasmosis infection in 39 countries with elevated incidences of neuroticism, suggesting the mind-altering organism may be. (Discover Magazine)
Housing Update -- Roaming cats pose hazard to pets, residents Feb 3, 2007
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can cause serious flu-like symptoms, is often transmitted through contact with cat feces. Ringworm can also be transmitted from cats to humans, merely through contact. (Leavenworth Lamp, KS)
Controlling rose midges a difficult task Feb 3, 2007
But the most important issue is this: handling cat poop may bring you in contact with toxoplasmosis, a potentially extremely dangerous organism. You are particularly vulnerable because you are pregnant, but everyone should handle used cat litter carefully to avoid exposure. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Pet Ohana: Take care to avoid toxoplasmosis Jan 26, 2007
Take care to avoid toxoplasmosis ... Question: I'm pregnant, and my doctor warned me about cleaning my cats' litter box because of toxoplasmosis ... Answer: Toxoplasmosis is a rare and easily avoidable disease that can cause serious birth defects. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Dear Doctor: Toxoplasmosis is dangerous to unborn baby Jan 11, 2007
Q: I am pregnant and I have heard that my cat may have a disease called toxoplasmosis that can harm my unborn child. A: Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii ... There are many ways a woman can get toxoplasmosis while pregnant -- improper care of cats is just one of them. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Coping with HIV| Jan 11, 2007
Aids Wise Here's what you should know about Aids, including the latest news and some inspiration from David's Diary. You are what you eat Healthy eating habits lead to a healthy body. (iAfrica.com)
Rats come close to home as bins are unemptied Jan 6, 2007
Other diseases spread by rats include toxoplasmosis and salmonella. Despite tonnes of poison being laid out annually, more than 70 million brown rats are now estimated to be scurrying around Britain, more than one for every human. (Times Online)
