A University of California, Riverside team of scientists has found that Toxoplasma gondii, a common parasite affecting up to one-third of the global population, is far more complex than previously believed. The findings, published in Nature Communications, offer new insight into how T. gondii causes disease and why it has been so difficult to treat.
Humans commonly contract toxoplasmosis by eating undercooked meat or through exposure to contaminated soil or cat feces. The parasite is best known for its ability to hide in the body by forming tiny cysts in the brain and muscles.
Most people who are infected never notice any symptoms. However, the parasite remains in the body for life as cysts, which can contain hundreds of parasites. The parasites they lodge can become active again later,…