Toxo Sushil

Toxoplasma gondii
Prepared by -
Sushil Kumar Chaudhary
GMC/29-07-014
T. gondii: Introduction
• An obligate intracellular parasite
• Found in RE cells & many other nucleated cells
• Belongs to phylum : Apicomplexa and

class: Sporozoa
• First described by Nicolle & Manceaux in small rodents

Ctenodactylus gondi, hence the name
• Greek word ‘Toxon’ = arc/bow, referring to curve shape

of trophozoite
T. gondii: MORPHOLOGY
• Occurs in 3 stages:
1- Trophozoite Stages of asexual

2- Tissue cyst reproduction (schyzogony)
Stage of sexual reproduction

3- Oocyst ( gametogony
or sporogony)
T. gondii: MORPHOLOGY: Trophozoite
• Crescent shaped
• Oval nucleus situated near blunt end

• Measures 7 x 3 µm
• Under Giemsa stain, cytoplasm appears azure blue

nucleus red
• Multiplies by endodyogeny or internal budding
(2 daughter trophozoites, formed within the parent parasite )
• Rapidly proliferating trophozoites in acute infection are called

‘tachyzoites’
A B C D E
Toxoplasma gondii (schematic diagram)

A. Tachyzoites
B. Pseudocyst
C. Tissue cyst
D. Sporulated oocyst
E. Sporulated oocyst in cat’s feces (saline mount)
T. gondii: MORPHOLOGY:Tissue Cyst
• Formed during chronic phase of infection
• Found inside muscles , various tissues and organs including

brain
• Round or oval, contains numerous bradyzoites

(slowly multiplying trophozoites)
• Cyst wall is disrupted by peptic or tryptic digestion, released

parasites invade intestinal epithelial cells and reach various
tissues through blood
T. gondii tissue cyst in a mouse brain,
individual bradyzoites can be seen within
T. gondii: MORPHOLOGY: Oocyst
• Developed only in intestines of cat and other feline animals

• Cat sheds millions of oocysts per day in feces during primary infection
• Oval or spherical and contains sporoblast
• Measures 10-12µm
• Contains 2 colorless layers
• Mature oocyst containing eight sporozoites is infective form, and

when ingested, releases sporozoites, which initiate infection
• Formed by sexual reproduction/ gametogony

Sporulated oocyst of T. gondii
Hosts vs Life-cycle
1. Definitive host—Domestic cat and feline animals

- Cats become infected by ingesting tissue cysts of
infected rodent or a bird
Undergoes both :
- Asexual reproduction and forms trophozoite and
tissue cyst, and
- Sexual reproduction to form oocyst; exists inside

epithelial cells of intestine: enteric cycle
Hosts vs Life – cycle cntd...
2. Intermediate host— Man and other mammals (cattle,

birds, rodents, pigs, sheep)
• Humans get infection by ingestion of a cyst, infected

raw meat, transplacental, organ transplatantion or
blood transfusion
• Only asexual reproduction takes place and forms

trophozoites and tissue cysts
• Lives inside the tissue (muscles etc.) cells: exo-enteric cycle

Life cycle
• Life cycle contains :
Enteric cycle
and
Exo-enteric cycles
Enteric cycle
(In definitive hosts)
Cat acquires infection by ingestion of infected tissues of

intermediate hosts , harbour Tissue cyst
Release of Bradyzoites in small intestine
Penetration of mucosal epithelial cells of small intestine
Asexual multiplication by schyzogony and sexual cycle

begins with formation of gametocytes
Differentiation of gametocytes into male & female
gametes
fertilization
Zygote formation
Oocyst formation
Release of oocyst into lumen of intestine by rupture

of host cells
Excretion of non-sporulated, non-infectious oocysts
containing sporoblast in cat’s faeces
Sporogony leads to formation oocyst with sporocyst
Maturation of sporulated oocyst , contains 8 sporozoites

(infective form and are very hardy and remain infectious for
more than 1 year in warm & humid environment)
Ingestion of sporulated oocyst infect the intermediate hosts ,like man
Initiation of Exo-enteric cycle

Exo-enteric cycle
(In Intermediate hosts)
Humans & other IH acquire infection

by ingestion of sporulated oocyst or
tissue cysts
Release of sporozoites from oocyst and bradyzoites

from tissue cyst in duodenum
Invasion of mucosal cells and

transformed into tachyzoites
Multiplication of tachyzoites via ENDODYOGENY

Local spread of tachyzoites to
mesenteric lymph node
Dissemination of infection to other organs
Slow multiplication of parasite

(bradyzoites) in tissue to form
TISSUE CYST
Ingestion of tissue cyst may infect other

intermediate host and definitive host as well
Transmission of Toxoplasmosis
• Domestic cats- key reservoirs of infection.

(Sheds millions of oocysts in faeces)
• Main source of infection: cat’s

faeces
• No man to man infection
• Infection always transmits from Zoonotic

infected rodents or domestic animals disease
• All forms of T. gondii – infective

Transmission of Toxoplasmosis cntd...
• Transmission occurs in following ways:
1- Oral Transmission:
- Eating raw/ undercooked meat ( pork, chicken , goat)
containing tissue cysts
- Ingesting food-water contaminated with sporulating oocyst

from cat’s faeces
2- Congenital Transmission:
- From infected mother to her foetus by tachyzoites via placenta
Transmission of Toxoplasmosis cntd...
3- Accidental infections:
- To persons handling parasite in laboratory
4- Other minor modes:

- Blood transfusion
- Unpasteurised milk consumption
- Organ transplant
Pathogenicity
• Most human infections are asymptomatic
• Fatal infection, in debilitated patients
• Infection often involve nervous system and may cause

encephalitis or menigoencephalitis
• T. gondii, most common cause of secondary CNS

infection in AIDS patients
Pathogenicity cntd....
1- Congenital toxoplasmosis: Girl with hydrocephalus due to congenital

toxoplasmosis
- Vertically transmitted
- Abortion or still birth
- Lesions are widespread, with

a special predilection to
CNS
- Manifestations:
chorioretinitis, strabismus, blindness,
deafness, epilepsy or mental retardation
Pathogenicity cntd....
2- Acquired (postnatal) toxoplasmosis-
• Less severe
• Commonest manifestation is Lymphadenopathy
• Lymphadenopathy may be associated with fever, malaise,

headache, muscle pain, fatigue and sore throat
• Rarely, pneumonitis, myocarditis, menigoencephalitis,

which may be fatal in immunodeficiencies
Laboratory Diagnosis
• Specimens :
- Blood, sputum, bone marrow, CSF, biopsy material
from lymph node, spleen and brain
1. Microscopic examination:
- Giemsa stained smears : trophozoites or
tachyzoites
- Tissue sections may show the cyst forms

Tachyzoite stage
Tachyzoites are typically crescent shaped with a prominent,

centrally placed nucleus."
2. Animal inoculation:
- Specimen injected intraperitoneally into mice
- Smears from peritoneal fluid and spleen show trophozoites after

7–10 days
3. Serological tests
Methylene blue dye test or Sabin-Feldman dye test
• Complement-mediated neutralizing antigen-antibody reaction
• based on the appearance of specific antibodies which render live

T.gondii impermeable to alkaline methylene blue, so that
organisms are unstained in the presence of positive serum of
patient
• Other serological tests:
- Indirect hemagglutination test,
- Indirect fluorescent antibody test,
- CFT
- ELISA
- Latex agglutination test
4- Diagnosis of congenital infection-

- PCR of the amniotic fluid to detect the B1 gene of the
parasite.
• TORCH
Treatment
• Drug of choice is a combination of
Pyrimethamine
and
Sulphadiazine
Prevention
• Avoidance of contact with cat’s faeces and uncooked
meat.
• Washing of fruits before consumption
• Proper cooking
NO EFFECTIVE
• Washing hands before meal VACCINE.
Thank -U

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Toxoplasma gondii

• An obligate intracellular parasite

• Found in RE cells & many other nucleated cells

• Belongs to phylum : Apicomplexa and

• First described by Nicolle & Manceaux in small rodents

• Greek word ‘Toxon’ = arc/bow, referring to curve shape

1- Trophozoite Stages of asexual

Stage of sexual reproduction

• Oval nucleus situated near blunt end

• Under Giemsa stain, cytoplasm appears azure blue

• Rapidly proliferating trophozoites in acute infection are called

Toxoplasma gondii (schematic diagram)

• Found inside muscles , various tissues and organs including

• Round or oval, contains numerous bradyzoites

• Cyst wall is disrupted by peptic or tryptic digestion, released

• Developed only in intestines of cat and other feline animals

• Oval or spherical and contains sporoblast

• Contains 2 colorless layers

• Mature oocyst containing eight sporozoites is infective form, and

• Formed by sexual reproduction/ gametogony

1. Definitive host—Domestic cat and feline animals

- Sexual reproduction to form oocyst; exists inside

2. Intermediate host— Man and other mammals (cattle,

• Humans get infection by ingestion of a cyst, infected

• Only asexual reproduction takes place and forms

• Lives inside the tissue (muscles etc.) cells: exo-enteric cycle

Cat acquires infection by ingestion of infected tissues of

Release of Bradyzoites in small intestine

Penetration of mucosal epithelial cells of small intestine

Asexual multiplication by schyzogony and sexual cycle

Release of oocyst into lumen of intestine by rupture

Sporogony leads to formation oocyst with sporocyst

Maturation of sporulated oocyst , contains 8 sporozoites

Ingestion of sporulated oocyst infect the intermediate hosts ,like man

Initiation of Exo-enteric cycle

Humans & other IH acquire infection

Release of sporozoites from oocyst and bradyzoites

Invasion of mucosal cells and

Multiplication of tachyzoites via ENDODYOGENY

Dissemination of infection to other organs

Slow multiplication of parasite

Ingestion of tissue cyst may infect other

• Domestic cats- key reservoirs of infection.

• Main source of infection: cat’s

• No man to man infection

• Infection always transmits from Zoonotic

• All forms of T. gondii – infective

- Ingesting food-water contaminated with sporulating oocyst

4- Other minor modes:

• Most human infections are asymptomatic

• Fatal infection, in debilitated patients

• Infection often involve nervous system and may cause

• T. gondii, most common cause of secondary CNS

1- Congenital toxoplasmosis: Girl with hydrocephalus due to congenital

- Abortion or still birth

- Lesions are widespread, with

• Commonest manifestation is Lymphadenopathy

• Lymphadenopathy may be associated with fever, malaise,

• Rarely, pneumonitis, myocarditis, menigoencephalitis,

- Tissue sections may show the cyst forms