To detect a Toxoplasma gondii infection in a pregnant woman, unborn baby, or in a person with a weakened immune system (immunocompromised) who has flu-like symptoms; sometimes to determine if a person has been previously infected or to help determine if complications are due to an active Toxoplasma infection
Toxoplasmosis Testing
Toxoplasmosis Testing
Also Known As
Toxoplasma gondii, T. gondii
Formal Name
Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies, IgG, IgM; Toxoplasma gondii Molecular Detection by PCR
This article was last reviewed
on
This article waslast modified
on November 27, 2017.
At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
When To Get Tested?
When a pregnant woman or a person with a weakened immune system has been exposed to T. gondii and/or has flu-like symptoms or a severe eye or brain infection that a health practitioner suspects are due to toxoplasmosis
Sample Required?
A blood sample drawn from a vein in your arm; sometimes a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or amniotic fluid sample
Test Preparation Needed?
None
Accordion Title
Common Questions
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How is it used?
A toxoplasmosis test is used to detect a current or past infection with the microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Most often it may be performed for:
- A woman prior to or during a pregnancy to determine if she has been previously exposed to Toxoplasma gondii and during a pregnancy if exposure is suspected.
- An individual who has a weakened immune system (immunocompromised) and has flu-like symptoms.
- A person who has signs or symptoms of toxoplasmosis.
- An unborn baby, in which case, amniotic fluid may be tested.
T. gondii is a microscopic parasite that infects cats and can be found in the soil. The infection can be acquired by ingesting contaminated food or water, by handling contaminated cat litter, or by transmission from mother-to-child. In most healthy people, toxoplasmosis either causes no symptoms or results in a mild flu-like illness. A person's immune system keeps the infection dormant and protects the body against further infection, unless the immune system becomes weakened, in which case the infection can re-activate.
There are several methods of testing for T. gondii. The choice of tests and samples collected depends on the person, their symptoms, and on the health practitioner's clinical findings.
Antibody testing
When someone is exposed to T. gondii, their immune system responds by producing antibodies to the parasite. Two classes of Toxoplasma antibodies may be found in the blood: IgM and IgG.IgM antibodies are the first to be produced by the body in response to a Toxoplasma infection. They are present in most individuals within a week or two after the initial exposure. IgM antibody production rises for a short time period and declines. Eventually, sometimes months after the initial infection, the level (titer) of IgM antibody falls below a detectable level in most people. Additional IgM may be produced when dormant T. gondii is reactivated and/or when a person has a chronic infection.
IgG antibodies are produced by the body several weeks after the initial infection and provide long-term protection. Levels of IgG rise during the active infection, then stabilize as the Toxoplasma infection resolves and the parasite becomes inactive. Once a person has been exposed to T. gondii, that person will have some measurable amount of IgG antibody in their blood for the rest of their life.
Antibody testing may sometimes be performed as part of a TORCH panel. TORCH is an acronym for several infections that can affect an unborn child and typically includes testing for: toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus.
Molecular detection
Molecular testing may be performed to detect and measure T. gondii DNA in a blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), or amniotic fluid sample. -
When is it ordered?
T. gondii antibody testing is not routinely ordered on pregnant women but may be ordered when a health practitioner wants to determine if a woman has previously had toxoplasmosis and when she has been exposed to cat feces (stool), raw or undercooked meat, or contaminated food or water. When the antibody test is negative but suspicion is still high, the test may be repeated one or more times during the pregnancy.
Antibody testing may be ordered for a person with a weakened immune system (immunocompromised) when the person has symptoms of a flu-like illness and for anyone who has symptoms or complications that suggest toxoplasmosis. Signs and symptoms of toxoplasmosis may include:
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Fever, night sweats
- Weakness, fatigue
- Headache
- Body aches
- Sometimes a sore throat
A more serious infection that affects the central nervous system, including the brain, may cause visual and mental changes or seizures, for example.
Molecular testing may be performed when a toxoplasmosis infection is suspected in an immunocompromised person or to determine if an unborn baby has been infected. Amniotic fluid may be tested during pregnancy when a mother has evidence of an acute infection as indicated by a positive Toxoplasma IgM antibody test result.
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What does the test result mean?
Care must be taken when interpreting the results of toxoplasmosis testing. An immunocompromised person may not have a strong antibody response to the T. gondii infection – their IgM and IgG levels may be lower than expected even though they have an active case of toxoplasmosis.
Antibody detection
IgM IgG Possible Interpretation Negative Positive Past infection Negative Negative No infection or very early infection; no previous exposure Positive Negative Early infection; in a newborn, indicates congenital infection Positive Positive Current infection; chronic infection; could indicate re-activation; IgM may be positive for several months after the infection resolves False positives can occur. In most cases, positive IgM antibody tests should be confirmed by another test method, typically by sending the sample to a reference laboratory that specializes in toxoplasmosis testing.
IgM antibodies are the only class produced by an unborn baby. When Toxoplasma IgM antibodies are present in a newborn, they indicate a congenital infection.
DNA detection
If the molecular test is positive for T. gondii DNA, then the person tested has an active toxoplasmosis infection. A negative test result means that it is less likely that the person has toxoplasmosis but does not rule out infection – Toxoplasma may not be present in sufficient numbers in the blood or fluid sample to be detected. -
Is there anything else I should know?
Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii comes primarily from eating undercooked or raw meat, especially pork, lamb, and venison, but can also come from unwashed fruits and vegetables that are grown in contaminated soil, from the soil itself, from contaminated water, and from unpasteurized milk.
T. gondii infection is the most common cause of intraocular inflammation in the world. In those with complications, it can scar the retina and cause severe eye infections.
Other tests, such as an IgG avidity test, may be performed by a reference laboratory to help confirm a T. gondii infection. Tests such as a tissue culture or biopsy stain are rarely done.
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Is toxoplasmosis contagious?It is not directly passed from person to person, except from mother-to-child. Almost all cases of infections come from eating, drinking, or handling something that is contaminated.
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Should everyone be tested for toxoplasmosis?Since the infection is very common and in most cases does not cause symptoms, general screening is not currently recommended.
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Once I have had a Toxoplasma gondii infection, can I get infected again?
In general, once you have been infected and the primary infection becomes dormant, you have immunity against re-infection from an outside source if you remain healthy. However, if your immune system is weakened for some reason, a dormant infection may become reactivated. It is thought that most infections in immunocompromised people, such as those with HIV/AIDs, are due to reactivations rather than new infections.
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Why is the T. gondii infection rate as high as 95% in some countries?The infection rate is higher in hot, humid locations and is influenced by the regional diet. It is higher in areas that routinely eat undercooked meat.
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Is toxoplasmosis treatable?
Most healthy people do not require treatment, but there are treatments available for those with compromised immune systems, for pregnant women to help lessen the risk that the infection will be passed to the fetus, and for newborns with congenital toxoplasmosis. For more on treatment, see the Mayo Clinic web site.
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What steps should a pregnant woman (or anyone else) take to prevent toxoplasmosis infection?Actions that can be taken include:
- Have someone else clean the cat's litter box. If this is not possible, then gloves should be worn and the litter box should be changed every day to prevent any oocysts from becoming infective.
- If possible, keep your cat indoors to prevent it from hunting or possibly eating contaminated soil, and do not feed it raw meat.
- Don't get a new cat or handle stray cats during pregnancy.
- Cover a child's sandbox when not in use (to prevent it from being used as a litter box).
- Wear gloves when gardening.
- Don't eat raw or undercooked meat.
- Wash cutting boards, hands, and any utensils used to prepare raw meat in hot soapy water and avoid cross-contamination.
- Don't drink unpasteurized milk.
- Wash and/or peel fruits and vegetables.
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Besides antibody and molecular tests, are there other ways of testing for toxoplasmosis?
Rarely, a sample of tissue may be removed (biopsy) from an area of the body that is suspected of being infected with the Toxoplasma parasite. The sample may be cultured and/or stained and examined under a microscope to detect the parasite. These procedures are usually reserved for cases that are difficult to diagnose.