Published in Scientific Works. Series C. Veterinary Medicine, Vol. LXI
Written by Cătălina Anca CUCOȘ, Iuliana IONAȘCU, Jacqueline MOCANU, Manuella MILITARU
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular coccidian parasite. The cat occupies a central role in the life cycle of this parasite, as a definitive host. Toxoplasmosis is transmitted by consumption of infected raw or undercooked meat, consumption of oocysts from the cat feces or by transplacental transfer of tachyzoites from mother to fetus. The study was conducted in the Ophthalmology Department of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bucharest, over a one year period, from September 2013 to September 2014. We examined and diagnosed with toxoplasmosis a number of 22 cats. The cases were subjected to clinical, neurological, ocular examinations and paraclinical tests. Clinical examination revealed various multifocal neurological signs such as behavioural changes, altered mentation, seizures, ataxia, blindness, anisocoria, torticollis and vestibular signs. In some cases the ophthalmological examination revealed chorioretinitis and uveitis. These results along with the history led us to the suspicion of toxoplasmosis. We performed routine haematology and serum biochemistry tests, but these tests are not specific and the results depend on the extent of systemic involvement. We established the definitive diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by performing the serological specific test in order to determine the IgM and IgG levels of Toxoplasma antibodies. In the cases were the IgM titre was elevated, the acute phase of the infection was diagnosed, whereas the elevated IgG titre revealed a chronic infection. The aim of this paper is to highlight the multiple and various neurological signs of toxoplasmosis, which is often misdiagnosed and incompletely investigated, and therefore improperly treated. The importance of this study stems from the fact that in recent years toxoplasmosis experienced an increase incidence in our country.
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