Symptoms & Signs
Toxoplasmosis passes from animals to humans, sometimes without causing any symptoms. When kids do have symptoms, they vary depending on the child's age and the immune system's response to the infection.
Congenital Toxoplasmosis:
Children born with congenital toxoplasmosis have no symptoms early in infancy, but a large percentage will show signs of infection months to years later. Some of the symptoms are:
- Fever
- Swollen glands
- Jaundice
- Unusually large or small head
- Unusually small at birth
- Rash
- Bruises or bleeding under the skin
- Anemia
- Enlarged liver or spleen
- Brain and nervous system abnormalities
- Feeding difficulties
- Hearing loss
- Impaired vision
A healthy child who becomes infected with toxoplasmosis may have no symptoms of infection or only have a few swollen glands that usually appear in the child's neck which can be tender to the touch. This may either become larger or reduce in size over several months
Toxoplasmosis in a child with a weakened immune system:
Children whose immune system is weakened due to AIDS, cancer or medications taken after organ transplants are at high risk for severe toxoplasmosis infections. It can also result in toxoplasmic encephalitis (i.e., inflammation of the brain). Other symptoms include:
- Fever
- Seizures
- Feadache
- Psychosis (severe mental illness)
- Problems with vision, speech, movement, or thinking
Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy
Toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant woman can result in various complications such as
- Blindness or severe visual disability
- Severe mental retardation
- Other neurological manifestations
- Learning disorders
- Recurrence of the disease
