Toxoplasma gondii infection significantly associated with development of epilepsy: study
Toxoplasma gondii infection is significantly associated with the development of epilepsy, according to a recent study published in Microbial Pathogenesis.
Toxoplasmosis results from infection with a common parasite found in cat faeces and contaminated food. It can cause serious complications for pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include muscle pain, fever and headache, all of which can last for weeks. Medication can reduce infection severity. But the best approach is prevention by avoiding exposure. People with weakened immune systems should use preventive medication.
A group of researchers performed an age-matched case-control study of incident epileptic patients to assess the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity and epilepsy.
Cases were 94 newly diagnosed patients (mean age, 36.7 ± 15.9) with unprovoked convulsive epilepsy of unknown aetiology and controls were 88 healthy individuals (mean age, 37.5 ± 17.1) with no history of epilepsy or neurological disorders. Sera of all subjects were examined for anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies using commercially enzyme-linked immunoassays.
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