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Although the disease can be dangerous in
humans, few horses are affected. Toxoplasmosis rarely causes clinical signs in horses, but can cause neurologic problems such as ataxia and blindness in young or immune-deficient horses.
Photo: Photos.com
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By Christa Lesté-Lasserre Nov 17, 2013
Topics: Slaughter
After all the publicized concern about the presence of phenylbutazone (Bute) in horsemeat, researchers now fear the meat could also carry the organism that causes toxoplasmosis—a potentially deadly human disease. Recent study results suggest that up to 15% of horses in Brazilian slaughterhouses and 30.5% of those in southwest China could be infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
Toxoplasmosis in adult humans—especially the elderly and immune-deficient—can cause fever, pneumonia, heart disorders, muscular difficulties, lymphadenopathy, and death. Frequently, infection goes unnoticed in healthy adults. But the disease is of particular concern in pregnant women, as infected fetuses can develop eye, ear, skin, and nervous system disorders.
In 2011, French researcher Christelle Pomares of the Université de Nice–Sophia Antipolis–Inserm, in Nice, reported three cases of toxoplasmosis infection in humans in France, most likely from consuming horsemeat. The cases included the death of a 74-year-old man and abortion in a 21-year-old woman due to severe fetal abnormalities. The horsemeat probably came from Brazil or Canada, according to the strain analysis, Pomares reported.Toxoplasmosis in adult humans—especially the elderly and immune-deficient—can cause fever, pneumonia, heart disorders, muscular difficulties, lymphadenopathy, and death. Frequently, infection goes unnoticed in healthy adults. But the disease is of particular concern in pregnant women, as infected fetuses can develop eye, ear, skin, and nervous system disorders.
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| Horse meat scandal dominating the front pages (Photo credit: Gene Hunt) |
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| This is an illustration of the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii, the causal agent of Toxoplasmosis. For a complete description of the life cycle of Toxoplasma gondii, the causal agent of Toxoplasmosis, select the link below the image or paste the following address in your address bar: http://www.dpd.cdc.gov/dpdx/HTML/Toxoplasmosis.htm (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Toxoplasma gondii (Photo credit: AJC1) |
