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. 2022 Apr 4:69:2022.008.
doi: 10.14411/fp.2022.008.

Association between infection with Toxoplasma gondii and psychiatric disorders

Alia Maisarah  1 , Suharni Mohamad  1 , Maruzairi Husain  2 , Sarimah Abdullah  3 , Rahmah Noordin  4
Affiliations
Free article

Association between infection with Toxoplasma gondii and psychiatric disorders

Alia Maisarah et al. Folia Parasitol (Praha). .
Free article

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is one of the world's most prevalent zoonoses. The causative agent, Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is a facultative heteroxenic, polyxenic apicomplexan protist. There are several potential pathways of transmission within and between host species. Most infections with T. gondii result from close contact with pets/cats, ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat of infected animals, and oocysts from food or water contaminated by feline faeces. Recently, epidemiological studies have shown that T. gondii infection plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric disorders. This report reviews the association between T. gondii infection and patients with psychiatric disorders, particularly schizophrenia, depressive disorders and bipolar disorders.

Keywords: bipolar disorders; depressive disorders; mental disorders; schizophrenia; toxoplasmosis.

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