Risk Factors for Toxoplasmosis

List of Risk Factors for Toxoplasmosis

The list of risk factors mentioned for Toxoplasmosis in various sources includes:

• Cats
• Cat feces
• Soil
• Soil containing cat feces
• Raw meat
• Undercooked meat
• Mother-infant transmission
• Cross-placental contagion
• Immunocompromise

Risk factors discussion:

Who is at risk for severe toxoplasmosis?

• Babies born to mothers who are FIRST exposed to Toxoplasma infection several months before or DURING pregnancy are at risk for severe disease. However, many exposed infants have no symptoms at all. Mothers who are first exposed to Toxoplasma more than 6 months before becoming pregnant are not likely to pass the infection to their children.

• Persons with severely weakened immune systems are at greater risk for severe toxoplasmosis. In such cases, an infection that occurred anytime during life can reactivate and cause the severe symptoms of toxoplasmosis such as damage to the eye or brain.

About risk factors:

Risk factors for Toxoplasmosis are factors that do not seem to be a direct cause of the disease, but seem to be associated in some way. Having a risk factor for Toxoplasmosis makes the chances of getting a condition higher but does not always lead to Toxoplasmosis. Also, the absence of any risk factors or having a protective factor does not necessarily guard you against getting Toxoplasmosis. For general information and a list of risk factors, see the risk center.

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