Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: May 1, 2006
Publication Date: January 1, 2007
Citation: Dubey, J.P. 2007. The history and life cycle of toxoplasma gondii. In: Weiss, L., Kim, K., editors. Toxoplasma gondii. The Model Apicomplexan: Perspectives and Methods. San Diego, CA:Academic Press. p. 1-17. Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating undercooked meat from infected animals and food and water contaminated with oocysts. Dr. Dubey at the USDA Agricultural Research Service has reviewed history of toxolasmosis. This paper will be of interest to biologists, parasitologists, and veterinarians.
Technical Abstract: Infections by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii are widely prevalent in humans and other animals on all continents. There are many thousands of references to this parasite in the literature and it is not possible to give equal treatment to all authors and discoveries. The objective of this chapter is, rather, to provide a history of milestones in our acquistion of knowledge of the biology of this parasite.