The etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis is which organism?

Study for the NBEO Microbiology exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

The etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis is which organism?

Explanation:
Toxoplasma gondii is the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis. It is an intracellular protozoan that forms tissue cysts and can invade many warm-blooded hosts, including humans. People typically acquire it by ingesting oocysts from cat feces or tissue cysts in undercooked meat. In healthy individuals it often causes no symptoms, but it can cause serious disease in congenital infections or in immunocompromised people, such as encephalitis or retinochoroiditis. The other organisms listed cause different infections: Plasmodium falciparum causes malaria; Giardia lamblia causes giardiasis; Cryptosporidium parvum causes cryptosporidiosis.

Toxoplasma gondii is the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis. It is an intracellular protozoan that forms tissue cysts and can invade many warm-blooded hosts, including humans. People typically acquire it by ingesting oocysts from cat feces or tissue cysts in undercooked meat. In healthy individuals it often causes no symptoms, but it can cause serious disease in congenital infections or in immunocompromised people, such as encephalitis or retinochoroiditis. The other organisms listed cause different infections: Plasmodium falciparum causes malaria; Giardia lamblia causes giardiasis; Cryptosporidium parvum causes cryptosporidiosis.

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