THE STATE OF TOXOPLASMOSIS

• Published in: National Provisioner 2021-11, Vol.235 (11), p.12-12
• Main Authors: Kotula, Anthony W, Kotula, Kathryn L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural research; Animal diseases; Animal parasites; Animals; Blindness; Cats; Cold; Congenital diseases; Cooking; Cysts; Disease prevention; Domestic animals; Encyclopedias; Epidemiology; Feces; Food contamination & poisoning; Fruits; Illnesses; Immunization; Inspection; Meat industry; Medical laboratories; Microwaves; Parasites; Poultry; Protozoa; Salmonella; Toxoplasmosis; Vaccination; Vaccines; Vegetables; Wildlife
• ISSN: 0027-996X; 1938-3835

There are an estimated 93.5 million domestic cats [Wikipedia, Cats in the United States, 2021], 70 million feral cats [Mott, 2004], and 733,000 to 2 million wild cat species, primarily bobcats and cougars in the U.S. [Wikipedia, Bobcat, 2021; Wildlife Informer, 2021]. [...]over 64.5 million cats (domestic, feral, and wild) have been infected with T. gondii. RESEARCH OBSTRUCTION GREATLY SLOWED ADVANCEMENTS IN UNDERSTANDING T. GONDII In 1987, the Washington Post reported that a group of individuals broke into secure facilities of the USDA's Animal Parasite Diseases Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland and took 27 research cats, 11 of which had been infected with Toxoplasma gondii parasites for research experiments. (The members of Congress who sponsored and co-sponsored this bill can be found at https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/housebill/1622/cosponsors) However, an article entitled, "Scientists decry USDA's decision to end cat parasite research" - in Science Magazine stated, "But many researchers say the lab's demise will undermine efforts to fight the devastating parasite, which is the world's leading infectious cause of blindness and causes roughly 190,000 babies to be born with defects each year. Is Congress really unaware of the serious illness caused by T. gondii? SOLUTIONS: 1)Vaccination In 1990, Jack Leighty, D.V.M., former director of the Pathology and Epidemiology Division at the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), published an article suggesting an oral vaccine be produced to prevent cats from being infected with T. gondii [Leighty, 1990].