Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasma gondii , a protozoan. Cats are both definitive and intermediate hosts. Cats become infected by eating raw meat, birds, or mice containing encysted bradyzoites. Man becomes infected by consuming raw or insufficiently cooked meat, primarily from sheep, swine, and, in some places, goats. The infection is usually subclinical.
Symptomatic toxoplasmosis can be congenital or acquired postnatally.
More cases are now seen in patients with immune system defects or those who are receiving immunosuppressive treatment and usually is fatal. Encephalititis is the very common in immunocompromised persons and is a frequent cause of death. Trichinosis Trichinella spiralis , a small filiform nematode. Only a small proportion of infections are manifested clinically. Symptomatic cases result from the ingestion of a large number of larvae.