Humans and animals become infected mainly by ingesting bradyzoites from infected meat or by sporulated oocysts from cat feces. The sexual cycle of T. gondii only occurs in the intestine of cats. Ingestion of sporulated oocysts or bradyzoites by humans and animals, including cats, will result in local multiplication in the intestine and lymph nodes before dissemination of tachyzoites to other organs and tissues where they may continue to reproduce asexually or encyst as bradyzoites. 40x Case 6-4. Dermatitis, necrotizing, subacute, diffuse, severe, with epidermal hyperplasia, sub-basilar clefts, epidermal degeneration and necrosis, and numerous intracellular and extracellular tachyzoites, domestic shorthair cat, feline.
Retrospective studies show that the incidence of feline cutaneous toxoplasmosis is low.
Research in humans, cats and other species shows that immunosuppression can profoundly influence the severity and clinical expression of infection with Toxoplasma . Feline immunodeficiency virus predisposes cats to acute generalized toxoplasmosis. Primary and secondary Toxoplasma gondii infection in normal and feline immunodeficiency virus-infected cats . Cutaneous manifestations of toxoplasmosis.