Often, these children do not develop or show these signs until they are adolescents.
Who is at risk for toxoplasmosis symptoms?
Most healthy individuals do not manifest symptoms even if they are infected with the parasite, since their immune system keeps it at bay.
Immunocompromised people are more at risk for toxoplasmosis.
The condition is also dangerous if a pregnant woman acquires the parasite for the first time while pregnant. This can lead to stillbirth, miscarriage, or birth defects in the child after birth.
Treatment
For immunocompromised individuals, doctors recommend a combination of pyrimethamine and trisulfapyrimidines. For AIDS patients with toxoplasma encephalitis (a brain infection), doctors prescribe clindamycin.
In infected pregnant women, doctors recommend spiramycin if the fetus has not yet acquired the condition. This drug lessens placental infection by 60%. However, doctors note that this can cause developmental defects in the fetus, so its benefits must be assessed against the risks of congenital infection. If the baby has already been infected, pyrimethamine and trisulfapyrimidines will likewise be given.
Prevention
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