Prenatal and Neonatal Environment: Toxoplasma Gondii

 

 

It is well known that an unborn brain could be damaged by numerous neglected acts a pregnant woman do. For example when pregnant women drink or smoke that could damage the fetus in many ways they could be born with many physical and or mental defects. Using drugs is also a huge factoring that damage the fetus brain development, but what happens when pregnant women are not aware of illness that could be as close as on our pets. This happens with Toxoplasma gondii is a unicellular parasite belonging to the genus toxoplasma. This disease can only be produce on cats but it can affects human and other species as well. However if it infects a human it is called toxoplasmosis, and it could be very dangerous if someone’s immune system if not strong enough to fight it. This is related to schizophrenia because if this kind of parasite affects a child’s brain it could caused him or her to have hallucinations, visions, and delusions. More than 60 million people in the United States are said to be infected with toxoplasmosis but not everyone develops the disease because of their good immune system. People could get infected by eating undercooked meat, contaminated water or milk, and other ways such as mother to child while still pregnant. If pregnant women do not experienced a miscarriage then the baby could born with abnormalities as larger or smaller head size, and brain or eye damage.

 

This video and images show in more detailed the effects of toxoplasma gondii.