Toxoplasmosis denotes an infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which traditionally has been monitored for congenital transmission and severe manifestations in immunocompromised populations [3][2]. The organism exhibits a strong predilection for neural and retinal tissues, where it frequently establishes a latent phase capable of reactivation rather than relying solely on acute reinfection [1]. Contemporary assessments increasingly link chronic latent infection to diverse neuropsychiatric associations, substantially elevating its recognized public health significance beyond overt acute morbidity [2].
Disease overview
ParasiticToxoplasmosis
弓形体病
Evidence-backed informationEN 5/7 applicable sections · ZH 5/7 applicable sectionsUpdated Sep 3, 2026
Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite whose infection frequently targets the central nervous system and ocular tissues, establishing a dormant state that can reactivate under immune suppression [1][2]. The pathogen spreads through ingestion of contaminated food and water, contact with infected soil, and vertical transfer from mother to fetus, which carries significant developmental risks [3]. Clinically, postnatally acquired cases commonly present as retinochoroiditis and represent a leading infectious cause of posterior uveitis, while congenital acquisition often results in severe neurological and visual impairment [4]. Although prophylactic vaccination strategies are currently restricted to preclinical animal testing without proven human efficacy, targeted screening and educational programs remain essential for early detection and management [1][3].
Read the full clinical and epidemiological profile6
Central nervous system involvement predominantly emerges from the reactivation of latent tissue cysts within the brain, particularly among individuals with advanced immune deficiency [1]. Congenital acquisition frequently precipitates severe neurological impairment and structural ocular damage in developing fetuses, whereas chronic maternal infection has been correlated with long-term psychiatric disturbances [3]. Postnatally acquired presentations typically manifest as retinochoroiditis, serving as a primary infectious etiology for posterior uveitis and necessitating characteristic clinical recognition alongside serologic evaluation [4].
The infection demonstrates pronounced regional variation, exhibiting elevated prevalence rates in areas characterized by substantial HIV burdens and restricted antiretroviral access [1]. Additionally, the disease maintains a consistent community-level presence as a leading infectious cause of posterior uveitis, reflecting its enduring global distribution across diverse populations [4].
Primary acquisition occurs through the ingestion of contaminated food and water, alongside direct contact with environmental reservoirs such as infected soil [3]. Vertical transmission from mother to fetus constitutes another critical propagation pathway, capable of initiating severe developmental pathology during gestation [3]. These distinct exposure routes highlight the necessity of environmental hygiene and prenatal monitoring to interrupt established transmission cycles [3].
Preventive approaches for this infection currently lack approved human vaccines, as ongoing prophylactic trials remain restricted to animal models without confirmed efficacy or safety for clinical application [1]. Consequently, mitigation strategies emphasize early diagnostic confirmation via combined serological, imaging, and symptomatic evaluation to enable prompt therapeutic intervention [1]. Sustained public health control will ultimately depend on validating safe immunization platforms and refining standardized diagnostic criteria to limit disease progression [1].
- 1Dian S et al. Cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV-infected patients: a review. Pathog Glob Health. 2023 Feb. PMID: 35694771. doi: 10.1080/20477724.2022.2083977.PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35694771/
- 2Milne G et al. Toxoplasma gondii: AnUnderestimated Threat? Trends Parasitol. 2020 Dec. PMID: 33012669. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.005.PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33012669/
- 3Deganich M et al. Toxoplasmosis Infection during Pregnancy. Trop Med Infect Dis. 2022 Dec 21. PMID: 36668910. doi: 10.3390/tropicalmed8010003.PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36668910/
- 4Kalogeropoulos D et al. Ocular toxoplasmosis: a review of the current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Int Ophthalmol. 2022 Jan. PMID: 34370174. doi: 10.1007/s10792-021-01994-9.PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34370174/
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Research Radar
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Epidemiology and Infection
Showing 5 of 6 related publications.
Literature links are provided for discovery and do not alter or validate the surveillance series above.
Data access
Page dataset index with source links and update metadata.
Official sourcesAuthority, cadence, notes30
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Bulgaria Annual Baseline
Bulgaria
Bulgaria annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
Brazil DATASUS SINAN
Brazil
Brazil Ministry of Health DATASUS/SINAN public DBC microdata aggregated to national monthly notification counts.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Cyprus Annual Baseline
Cyprus
Cyprus annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Czechia Annual Baseline
Czechia
Czechia annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
Germany RKI SurvStat 2.0
Germany
RKI SurvStat national weekly notification export; raw ZIP exports are retained and recent weeks are overwritten for revisions.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Estonia Annual Baseline
Estonia
Estonia annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Spain Annual Baseline
Spain
Spain annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
Finland THL Infectious Diseases Register
Finland
Finland THL Infectious Diseases Register national monthly case counts. The current month is ingested as provisional and the latest three months are refreshed for source revisions.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — France Annual Baseline
France
France annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — United Kingdom Annual Baseline
United Kingdom
United Kingdom annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Greece Annual Baseline
Greece
Greece annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Croatia Annual Baseline
Croatia
Croatia annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Hungary Annual Baseline
Hungary
Hungary annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
Ireland HPSC Notifiable Diseases Hub
Ireland
Ireland HPSC national weekly notifiable-disease totals from the official ArcGIS FeatureServer. Internal ingestion is enabled; public release remains disabled pending written redistribution permission.
Iceland Directorate of Health Annual Dashboard
Iceland
National annual case notifications by disease. Published values can be revised retrospectively and remain annual period totals.
Iceland Directorate of Health STI Dashboard
Iceland
Monthly STI diagnosis facts from laboratory and registry surveillance; the official dashboard is published on a quarterly schedule.
Iceland Directorate of Health Respiratory Dashboard
Iceland
ISO-week respiratory diagnosis counts. Hospitalizations, samples, and vaccination indicators are separate measures and are not counted as diagnoses.
Iceland Directorate of Health Historical Registry
Iceland
Historical official registry tables for 1997–2021, with annual totals and disease-specific monthly notification facts retained at source grain.
Iceland Directorate of Health Legacy ICD Monthly
Iceland
Historical Saga EHR ICD encounter counts for 1997–2020. This clinical measure is non-comparable with registry notifications and is kept separate.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Italy Annual Baseline
Italy
Italy annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Lithuania Annual Baseline
Lithuania
Lithuania annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Luxembourg Annual Baseline
Luxembourg
Luxembourg annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Latvia Annual Baseline
Latvia
Latvia annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Malta Annual Baseline
Malta
Malta annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Poland Annual Baseline
Poland
Poland annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Portugal Annual Baseline
Portugal
Portugal annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Romania Annual Baseline
Romania
Romania annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Slovenia Annual Baseline
Slovenia
Slovenia annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
ECDC Surveillance Atlas — Slovakia Annual Baseline
Slovakia
Slovakia annual Member-State reported case counts from the ECDC Surveillance Atlas. Missing topic/year cells remain unknown and published zeroes are preserved. Data provided by ECDC based on data reported by EU/EEA Member States.
Taiwan, China CDC NIDSS
Taiwan, China
Taiwan, China monthly notifiable infectious disease open-data CSV feed.