Toxoplasmosis: The Heart of the Diagnosis

• Published in: Open forum infectious diseases Vol. 6; no. 1; p. ofy338
• Main Authors: England, James H, Bailin, Samuel S, Gehlhausen, Jeffrey R, Rubin, Donald H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Oxford University Press 01-01-2019
• Subjects: ID Case; venison; white-tailed deer; acute toxoplasmosis; Toxoplasma gondii
• ISSN: 2328-8957; 2328-8957
• DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofy338

Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite that infects warm-blooded animals, including humans, and is a foodborne pathogen. We report a case of acute toxoplasmosis in a 76-year-old man after ingestion of the undercooked heart of a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Tennessee. The patient’s adult grandson, who also consumed part of the heart, became ill with nearly identical symptoms, though he did not seek medical care. This case highlights important public health concerns about deer-to-human transmission of Toxoplasma.