WHO urged to classify toxoplasmosis as neglected disease

An international team of scientists is calling for the World Health Organization to formally recognize toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, as a neglected tropical disease. This designation would unlock funding and resources for research, prevention, and treatment of a condition estimated to infect roughly one-third of the global population.

The parasite, often spread through contact with cat feces, contaminated water, or undercooked meat, can cause serious health complications. While many healthy individuals carry the parasite without symptoms, it can lead to ocular toxoplasmosis, the world's most common infection inside the eye, which damages the retina and can cause permanent vision loss. A study in Australia found retinal scarring from the infection in approximately one in 150 people surveyed.

The risks are particularly severe during pregnancy, as the infection can be passed to an unborn child, potentially resulting in miscarriage, neurological damage, or lifelong visual impairment. Researchers estimate that around 190,000 babies are born with congenital toxoplasmosis each year.

In a viewpoint paper published in the journal PLOS Neglected...