Cats are a primary host of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii
Image Credit: Scientific Frontline
Scientific Frontline: Extended "At a Glance" Summary: Toxoplasmosis
The Core Concept: Toxoplasmosis is a widespread parasitic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which affects approximately one-third of the global population and can cause severe ocular and neurological damage.
Key Distinction/Mechanism: Unlike conditions often dismissed as unavoidable consequences of human-animal interaction, toxoplasmosis utilizes well-characterized transmission pathways—such as the ingestion of contaminated undercooked meat, produce, water, or cat feces—making it highly preventable through targeted environmental and public health controls.
Major Frameworks/Components:
- Ocular Toxoplasmosis: A localized manifestation of the infection that damages the retina, leading to scarring and progressive, permanent vision loss.
- Congenital Transmission: The vertical transfer of the parasite from mother to fetus during pregnancy, which risks miscarriage or irreversible brain and eye damage in affected children.
- One Health Integration: A proposed multisectoral framework designed to coordinate disease prevention and intervention protocols across the human, animal, agricultural, and environmental sectors.
Branch of Science: Parasitology, Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, Public Health.
Future Application: Officially classifying the infection as an NTD aims to unlock vital global research funding, facilitating the integration of targeted prevention measures into maternal and child health programs, local food safety systems, and primary care networks.
Why It Matters: The most severe outcomes of the disease, including blindness, disproportionately impact vulnerable communities lacking access to clean water, safe food, and prenatal care. Formal NTD recognition provides an actionable, equitable roadmap to reduce this preventable global health burden.
One-third of the world’s population is infected with the Toxoplasma parasite, which can cause ocular toxoplasmosis, an eye infection that can damage the retina and result in permanent vision loss.
Although often seen as an unavoidable part of everyday human–animal interaction, toxoplasmosis is preventable and controllable.
A new global paper led by Associate Professor João Furtado from the University of São Paulo and Professor Justine Smith from Flinders University has brought together experts from the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
It calls for the disease to be formally recognized as a neglected tropical disease (NTD) by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Senior author and internationally recognized ophthalmologist Professor Justine Smith, from FHMRI Eye & Vision at Flinders University, says the impact of toxoplasmosis on eyesight is significant but widely overlooked.
“Toxoplasmosis is a leading eye infection and a major cause of vision loss worldwide, yet it receives limited attention in global health agendas,” says Professor Smith.
“With WHO’s recognition, we can make substantial progress in the prevention and management of this infection.”
People can become infected by eating undercooked meat, consuming contaminated produce or water, or through exposure to cat feces.
During pregnancy, the infection can be passed to the unborn baby, leading to miscarriage or permanent damage to the brain and eyes. Many affected children develop vision problems that worsen over time.
Lead author Associate Professor João Furtado, a prominent Brazilian ophthalmologist, researcher, and educator based at the University of São Paulo, says the disease is often misunderstood.
“Toxoplasmosis is often seen as inevitable, but it has well-characterized transmission pathways and can be prevented and controlled,” says Associate Professor Furtado.
He says the most severe outcomes, including blindness, occur in communities with limited access to healthcare, safe food, clean water, and prenatal care.
“These impacts could be reduced through practical public health measures such as improved food safety, clean water, sanitation, and better access to prenatal care,” he says.
Despite its global burden, toxoplasmosis receives less research funding and policy attention than diseases with similar or lower impacts.
The researchers say formal recognition as an NTD would unlock funding for research, prevention, and treatment.
“It would support countries to integrate toxoplasmosis prevention into maternal and child health programs, food safety systems, and primary care,” says Professor Smith.
Recognition would also place the disease within the global One Health agenda, encouraging coordinated action across the human, animal, agricultural, and environmental sectors.
“Addressing toxoplasmosis requires collaboration across multiple fields,” says Associate Professor Furtado.
The team says other diseases have seen rapid gains after NTD classification, including improved health outcomes.
“At a time when the WHO NTD framework emphasizes equity, integration, and multisectoral action, toxoplasmosis represents a clear and actionable gap that warrants corrective action,” says Professor Smith.
“Our statement is a call to action to finally address the unacceptable global health burden of toxoplasmosis.”
The paper also outlines a practical roadmap for action, including better screening during pregnancy, improved food and water safety, and coordinated global responses.
Published in journal: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Title: Toxoplasmosis meets the World Health Organization criteria for a neglected tropical disease
Authors: João Marcello Furtado, Rubens Belfort Jr, Bahram Bodaghi, Soon-Phaik Chee, Alejandra de-la-Torre, Oleksandra Dorokhova, Moncef Khairallah, Padmamalini Mahendradas, Nadine Nsiangani-Lusambo, Uwe Pleyer, Serge Resnikoff, Frank Seeber, Hugh R. Taylor, Jennifer E. Thorne, Daniel V. Vasconcelos-Santos, Steven Yeh, and Justine R. Smith
Source/Credit: Flinders University
Edited by: Scientific Frontline
Reference Number: epi062526_01