Toxoplasma gondii Infection

Dear Colleagues,

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite with worldwide distribution. Primary infection can result in severe ocular disease in immunocompetent people, in significant neurologic and ocular sequelae in congenitally infected fetuses and children and, in certain tropical areas, in community-acquired pneumonia, disseminated disease, and even death among otherwise healthy individuals. In addition, reactivation of chronic infection can occur in severely immunosuppressed individuals and cause life-threatening disease. Chronic infection may have more long-term consequences than thought previously; several investigators are addressing the possible impact of latent infection on psychiatric disorders and abnormal behaviors. In this Special Issue of Pathogens on T. gondii infections, we would like to invite you to submit original or review articles related to any of the following areas:

1. Pathogenesis of gondii Infections: Molecular analysis of T. gondii during different stages of the disease (latent vs. acute infection); pathogen–host interactions; Immunoprofiling during acute and/or chronic T. gondii infections; molecular analysis of the pathogenesis of T. gondii infection; chemokine, small molecule analysis during T. gondii infections
2. Epidemiology of gondii Strains: Prevalence of diverse T. gondii strains (clonal analyses) in different parts of the world; virulence of T. gondii infections according to T. gondii strains; detection of T. gondii strains in different body fluids (e.g., saliva; sperm etc.) in different species, including humans.
3. Epidemiology of Toxoplasmosis: Epidemiology of acute gondii infections in different parts of the world; T. gondii seroprevalence; epidemiology of outbreaks of acute T. gondii infections (community and family outbreaks); epidemiology of severe cases and/or atypical cases; epidemiology of acute T. gondii infections during gestation; epidemiology of acute T. gondii infections in immunocompromised host; epidemiology of mother to child transmission of T. gondii infections; epidemiology of congenital toxoplasmosis; epidemiology of T. gondii infections and neuropsychiatric diseases
4. Epidemiology of gondii in Meat Destined for Human Consumption: Seroprevalence and/or molecular analyses for T.gondii.
5. Diagnostics: Novel serologic or molecular diagnostics to differentiate between sporozoite vs. bradyzoite associated infections.; point of care tests for serologic diagnosis of acute vs. chronic gondii infections; novel diagnostic platforms for T. gondii infections; empirical evaluations of existing diagnostic techniques (serologic and/or molecular); serologic profiles according to implicated T. gondii strains; empirical evaluation of different imaging approaches in different clinical scenarios.
6. Clinical Spectrum of Disease: Clinical spectrum of gondii infections/disease ; clinical spectrum of disease (severity of disease) according to implicated T. gondii strains; case series/case reports/reviews of clinical spectrum of disease in immunocompetent and/or immunocompromised patients;
7. Prognosis: Long term outcomes of acute toxoplasmosis (e.g. eye disease); long term outcomes of congenital toxoplasmosis (e.g., ocular, neurologic, developmental outcomes).
8. Prevention/Treatment: Meta-analyses of clinical trials or observational studies/clinical trials or observational studies/case series/case reports of clinical outcomes according to different prophylactic or therapeutic regiments. Cost-Effectiveness Analyses for prenatal screening and treatment for toxoplasmosis during gestation and/or neonatal screening.
9. Drugs: Experimental/pre-clinical/clinical work of novel therapeutic approaches.
10. Vaccines (empirical data or reviews): Vaccine for food animals and/or cats, to prevent animal to human transmission; vaccine for humans (e.g. to prevent disease during pregnancy and/or in immunocompromised patients).

Prof. Dr. Despina Contopoulos-Ioannidis, MD
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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