The Risk Of Ingestion Food Contaminated With Toxoplasma Gondii Oocysts In Espirito Santo State, Brazil

Rationale: Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic protozoan parasite found worldwide. It can infect all warm-blooded animals and an estimated 30% of the human population carries the parasite. Cats are important in the epidemiology of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete environmentally resistant oocysts, and humans become infected by ingesting raw vegetables or drink contaminated with oocysts. In the daily diet, vegetables are essential to gain vitamins and minerals. However, the consumption of raw vegetables, without proper hygiene, can represent a health risk if they are contaminated by any pathogen. Vegetable contamination can occur during irrigation, storage, transport and inadequate handling. Some outbreaks of acute toxoplasmosis in humans have been associated with an environmental oocyst contamination.