Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a protozoan known as Toxoplasma gondii. It is found throughout the world. As is the case with many protozoan infections, treatments for toxoplasmosis can be quite difficult. However, with proper management, there are effective treatments for toxoplasmosis.
It is known that cats are the primary host for toxoplasmosis. Most people will acquire a toxoplasmosis infection from eating raw or undercooked meat which has been infected by toxoplasma cysts. Because cats are the primary host, toxoplasmosis can also be acquired when a person is cleaning out the cat’s litter box. Toxoplasmosis can also be transmitted from a mother to an unborn child. Congenital transmission of the protozoan accounts for between 400 and 3500 cases of toxoplasmosis in America annually. A woman who acquires the infection in her third trimester is far more likely to pass it along to her fetus than she would earlier in the pregnancy.
Toxoplasmosis can cause a wide range of different symptoms. The most common symptoms are very nonspecific. Oftentimes they mimic an infection such as mononucleosis. A person will become generally ill, with a fever. Lymph nodes in the head and neck will become swollen and tender. A person will feel aches and pains in their muscles and joints, a sore throat, headache, and sometimes a rash. Because the symptoms are very nonspecific, the proper diagnosis of toxoplasmosis can be quite difficult.
Once a diagnosis for toxoplasmosis has been made successfully, treatment must be initiated as soon as possible. Fortunately, there are treatments available to deal with this infection. The first-line treatment of choice is a medication known as pyrimethamine. 25 to 200mg of pyrimethamine is given daily for three to four weeks. Pyrimethamine can cause headaches and some gastrointestinal side effects. White blood cell counts and platelet counts must be tested while a person is taking pyrimethamine as this medication can sometimes cause suppression of their production in the bone marrow.
In addition to pyrimethamine, infected patients also receive folinic acid. This is done to help prevent some of the side effects caused by pyrimethamine. Oftentimes the pyrimethamine is supplemented with another medication known as sulfadiazine. A person must not be allergic to sulfur containing medications in order to receive this treatment.
Second line treatments for patients who are not able to tolerate pyrimethamine include clindamycin, atovaquone, dapsone and other macrolide antibiotics.
Toxoplasmosis can be quite a serious disease, especially in people who have suppressed immune systems. People with HIV are at higher risk for developing an acute toxoplasmosis infection if they are exposed to the protozoan. In addition, treatments for toxoplasmosis in patients with HIV can be somewhat more complicated. Similar medications are used for these patients, but the treatment regimen is generally longer and more difficult.
All of the treatments for toxoplasmosis must be prescribed by a doctor and monitored carefully while they are being given. There are no treatments for toxoplasmosis which can be done over-the-counter without significant intervention from a physician. Toxoplasmosis treatment is often done by specialists such as infectious disease doctors. If you have questions about toxoplasmosis treatment, speak with your doctor.
