Who is affected by toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis affects birds and mammals worldwide. The incidence of human toxoplasmosis in any given area is influenced by diet and hygiene practises. For example, in areas where raw or rare meat is commonly eaten, as in France, toxoplasmosis can affect more than half of the population.1 Eating infected meat is thought to cause most toxoplasmosis cases in Canada.
The prevalence of toxoplasmosis is not known, since it is not a reportable disease in Canada. An estimated 8% to 10% of Canadian-born women have been infected at some time in their lives. However, in certain groups such as French-Canadians and immigrants to Canada, 20% to 40% of women may have been infected with toxoplasmosis. 2
Because Canadian women are not routinely screened for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, it is impossible to know how many pregnant women actually become infected. In most areas of Canada, fetal toxoplasmosis is uncommon. Studies in the United States show that 1 to 10 newborns are infected in 10,000 births.3 This number is a fraction of the population of women who become infected during pregnancy. This is because many fetuses do not become infected along with their mothers.1
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS Carrie Henley Ralph Poore | Last Updated: August 17, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Gregory A L Davies, MD, FRCSC, FACOG - Maternal-Fetal Medicine | |
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