Evening star., 1952-07-16
Tiny Bug Could Create
Public Health Problem
Toxoplosmu Gondii Cousing
Infunt and Adult MuIudies
By Thomos R. Henry

A microscopically minute animal
called toxoplasma gondii threatens to
become an important public health prob
lem
1t has q special preference for new.
born infants. in whom it causes the often
fatal disease Of toxoplasmosis-an in
lection of brain and nervous system
whose most striking manifestation Is
hydrocephaly. This water on the brain"
results in abnormally large heads.
idiocy or great mental retardation and
usually blindness. It tends to destroy
the retina Of the eye.
Recently it has been found to cause .
quite different malady in adults-so-
called mononucleoSis which Is character
lied by swelling of the lymph glands.
the appearance of peculiar white cells
in the blood stream, fever and general
feeling of illness.
The malady of infants has been rec
ognized since 1897. The adult disease
has been recognized generally only with
in the last few years and still is essen
TALLY unknown to the general public.
Bug Itself Is Puzzle.
The bug itself is a puzzle. It Is one
of the ''protoZoa," specifically similar
to the organism which causes malaria.
It was first discovered in 1908 in the
blood stream of a small North African
mammal and later was picked up in the
blood of many other mammals and birds.
1t differs from the malaria organism
and from most other disease-causing
protozoa in that it has no preference for
hosts. The malaria organism, for ex-
ample, lives only in certain types Of
mosquitoes and man. It passes readily
from one to the other. If mosquitoes In
an area are eliminated, as now is being
done all over the world, the disease
disappears.
The new organism will pass readily
from one mammal to another. including
man.
Difficult to Limit.
This makes it Of particular concern
because If a major epidemic ever broke
out it would be extremely difficult to
limit.
Recognizing the possible threat Of the
little bug. the United States Public
Health Service has just published .
complete account Of everything found
to date concerning the protozoan itself
and the disease manifestations for which
it seems responsible.
It is believed to be carried by some
kind Of insects, but as yet this cannot
be conclusively proved. Fortunately
human resistance seems fairly high. It
Is probable that the infection passes un-
noticed in many adults and children.
Antibodies develop quickly in the blood.
Tnci0Y1S cIIhciAn -
isms disappear.
Sometimes. however. they persist and
give rise to Subacute and chronic in.
lection. especially in the central nervous
system and the eye. CystS around the
bugs may remain also in the heart and
central nervous system, resulting in
probable carriers of the disease.
Isolation Often Not Possible.
Diagnosis of the disease, according to
the Public Health Service report, is
quite accurate wherever the organism
has been isolated or where it has been
identified in the characteristic brain
LESSONS after death. Isolation. however,
frequently is not possible.
Two sulfa drugs. sulfadiazine and
sulfamerazine used In massive doses.
nave peen 1OunQ TO control acute toxO-
plasmosis in animals. The newer anti
biotics. such as penicillin, have been
found generally Ineffective. None of
the drugs is able to eradicate the carrier
state.
1t is likely. according to the report.
that most adults in the United States
may become affected at least once In
their lifetimes. Symptoms of the in.
fection usually go unrecognized.
The report is the joint work of DIR.
Jacob K. Frenkel of the National Instl.
tutes of Health and DIR. Saul Friedlander
OF Sacramento. 1t presents clinical his
tories of five fatal and two surviving
cases observed over three-year period
In hospitals associated with the Uni
versity of California The organism
itself now is under intensive study by
Public Health Service scientists.