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toxoplasmosis

toxoplasmosis

4 9.7
A serious infection from cat feces or raw meat, dangerous for pregnant women and people with weak immunity
  • noun
  • /ˌtɒksoʊplæzˈmoʊsɪs/
  • Specialized
: toxoplasmosis
  • Radiologic studies are not helpful; only histopathologic and immunologic findings can confirm a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis.
  • acute toxoplasmosis
  • diagnosis of toxoplasmosis
  • toxoplasmosis infection

This thing called toxoplasmosis, which toxoplasmosis is a parasite that you get from cats, from stray cats.

Examples

  • Tests for toxoplasmosis, a disease he fears he contracted from his cat, prove inconclusive.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Family members of persons with acute toxoplasmosis should be screened for infection, especially pregnant women and immunocompromised persons.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Learn about the strange disease of toxoplasmosis and the surprising reason you may love your cat so much with this video.

  • Marc: Most people who contract toxoplasmosis never even know they've had it.

    Blog text (34)
  • Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection that is transmitted to humans by other mammals.

    Academic text (2006)
  • The patients infected with toxoplasmosis remain mostly asymptomatic (Kaye, 2011).

    Academic text (2014)
  • Acquired toxoplasmosis has a varied presentation; the most common finding is a generalized or localized lymphadenopathy.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Follow-up measurement of immunoglobulin levels revealed that the patient had an acute toxoplasmosis infection (table).

    Academic text (2006)
  • Pregnant women should be careful to avoid exposure to toxoplasmosis, as it can harm the developing fetus.

  • Many individuals may not realize that toxoplasmosis can be contracted by handling cat litter or eating undercooked meat.

Synonyms

Toxoplasma
vstoxoplasmosis
  • Specialized
1 7.8

An infection caused by a single-celled parasite that can make people sick

is the clinical description stressing transmission routes and risk groups

Surface Forms

toxoplasmosis singular
toxoplasmoses plural

Morphology

toxoplasmosis = Toxoplasma (semi-transparent) = toxoplasma + osis

Formed by attaching the disease-forming suffix '-osis' to the parasite name 'Toxoplasma'; the relation 'disease caused by Toxoplasma' is clear to those knowing the name or '-osis', but not to average learners.

Etymology

Toxoplasmosis comes from the parasite name Toxoplasma, where tox- meant 'bow' because the tiny parasite looks curved and -osis means 'disease'. So toxoplasmosis simply means the disease caused by that bow-shaped parasite, which fits its modern use for the infection often linked to cats and undercooked meat.