Toxoplasma gondii is very common in most human populations. As well as the loss and reduction in quality of human life, toxoplasmosis causes great financial loss in the agricultural industry, being a major cause of abortion and stillbirth in sheep flocks in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Toxoplasmosis has also been identified as a cause of abortion in Angora goats in both Tasmania and New South Wales. It is also very common in Australian wildlife, which means that many endangered native species are at risk, and that the consumption of under-cooked kangaroo meat may be another cause of infection in humans. Members of the Molecular Parasitology KURS group are attempting to differentiate between two lineages of the parasite, to determine if they have different lifecycles and hosts.
Toxoplasmosis poses significant threats to our human and animal populations.
Research into new treatments and controls will result in significant medical and economic benefits.