FASTest® TOXOPLASMA g

Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoon Toxoplasma gondii. It plays an important epidemiologic role especially in the cat, but also in the dog. Other mammals, humans (zoonosis) and birds can be infected as intermediate hosts with T. gondii oocysts world-wide.

Definite hosts (gamogony and oocyst production) are only cats and other felids (especially lynx, ozelot, puma). The infection takes place perorally by ingestion of infectious tissue cysts (formation in the infected intermediate host) in raw meat (e.g. mouse, birds) or by sporulated oocysts (e.g. snails, worms, coprophagous arthropods a. s. o.). Due to infection intensity and uptake of the T. gondii stage, the patent period is only few days (oocysts 21–24 d / tissue cysts 3–5 d). Dogs are only intermediate hosts and do not egest oocysts.

Approximately 2 weeks post infection, the antibody (ab) titre increases (seroconversion) with maximum IgG titres between 2–4 weeks (optimal time point of testing). Thereafter, the titre decreases onto an “infestation titre” (< 1:50) and can persist. The prevalence for seropositivity increases with advanced age. In Germany, the prevalences for cats are indicated between 55–60 %.

Clinical symptoms are not pathognomonic in dog and cat and depend on age and immune status of the animal. Seriously acute courses with encephalitis, enteritis, hepatitis, myositis and cell lysis during protozoan propagation mostly lead to death, especially in puppies. In adults, toxoplasmosis mostly is inapparent. In older animals with chronic progression, anorexia, lethargy, fever as well as damage of myocard, liver and CNS are main issues.

Especially kittens egest up to 600  ×10⁶ oocysts with the feces 1–20 days long (Ø 7 days) after first infection (patent period). By reinfection with oocysts, normally a protective immunity is generated that can last up to 2 years. Therefore, with increasing reinfection the oocyst egestion can fall to zero. Actual data show that in Germany 0.6–1.4 % of cat feces samples do contain oocysts. Latent infections can be clinically activated by e.g. FeLV and / or FIV infection. In addition, tissue cysts can be a source of new antigen shedding and reactivation of infection. These tissue cysts do stimulate the ab production life-long, but do not protect from shedding.

Because a combination of coprologic and serologic testing (2 × at an interval of 14 days) allows direct conclusions on the infection potential of the cat, the veterinarian using FASTest®TOXOPLASMA g can identify fast, simple and on-site the T. gondii status of the suspicious animal. This allows to immediately start further diagnostic and therapeutic as well as prophylactic measures.

• Test Principle :  Lateral flow
• Packaging :  10
• Pathogenic :  Toxoplasma gondii