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TropicalMed
Special Issues
Toxoplasma gondii: Epidemiology, Clinical Challenges, and Case Insights
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Toxoplasma gondii: Epidemiology, Clinical Challenges, and Case Insights

A special issue of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 June 2026 | Viewed by 1814

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Alina Lupu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Diagnosis and Study of Parasitic Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: parasitic diseases; zoonosis; toxoplasmosis; epidemiology; COVID-19
Prof. Dr. Tudor Rares Olariu

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Center for Diagnosis and Study of Parasitic Diseases, Department of Infectious Disease, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Romania
Interests: parasitic diseases; zoonoses; epidemiology; infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since its discovery in 1908, the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii has become one of the most widespread parasites globally. Moreover, T. gondii is considered one of the most successful and well-adapted parasites due to its ability to spread within all ecosystems and across different hosts (humans and domestic and wild animals and birds) and to infect different types of cells. Approximately 2 billion people worldwide are chronically infected with T. gondii, and toxoplasmosis is one of the most damaging zoonotic diseases in the world, with a loss of 2–8 million disability-adjusted life years. Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent toxoplasmosis in humans. Therefore, to better mitigate the potentially devastating impact of T. gondii on humans, we need to better understand and identify effective actions and develop strategies to reduce the burden of this parasitic disease.

This Special Issue will showcase recent research related to various aspects of Toxoplasma gondii infection, including epidemiology, risk factors, and patterns of distribution.

We look forward to receiving submissions of reviews, original research articles, case reports, and case series and contributing to the development of effective prevention and control measures.

Dr. Maria Alina Lupu
Prof. Dr. Tudor Rares Olariu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Toxoplasma gondii
  • toxoplasmosis
  • seroprevalence
  • risk factors
  • epidemiology
  • public health

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

15 pages, 1071 KB  
Review
Early Warning Signs, Effects, Risk Factors, and Diagnostic Indicators of Toxoplasmosis in Pregnant Women in Africa: A Scoping Review
by Cherotich Jesca Tangus, Ndichu Maingi, James Chege Nganga, Davis Karanja Njuguna, Kariuki Njaanake, Bruno Enagnon Lokonon, Gloria Ivy Mensah, Kennedy Kwasi Addo, Andrée Prisca Ndjoug Ndour and Bassirou Bonfoh
Trop. Med. Infect. Dis. 2026, 11(4), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed11040104 - 17 Apr 2026
Viewed by 622
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed zoonosis caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Infection during pregnancy is a major public health concern due to its potential impact on both maternal health and fetal development. Early detection of maternal infection is critical to prevent [...] Read more.
Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed zoonosis caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Infection during pregnancy is a major public health concern due to its potential impact on both maternal health and fetal development. Early detection of maternal infection is critical to prevent adverse outcomes; however, maternal signs are often subtle, non-specific or absent, complicating timely diagnosis. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesise existing evidence on early maternal signs, pregnancy and foetal outcomes, frequently assessed risk factors, and diagnostic approaches of toxoplasmosis in expectant mothers in Africa. The review was done in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A literature search of PubMed, Scopus, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar was performed to identify studies published between 2000 and 2025. Retrieved records were managed using Zotero (version 8.0.4) for deduplication and screening. Only English-language studies conducted in Africa and reporting relevant maternal or clinical data were included. A total of 28 cross-sectional studies were included. Lymphadenopathy (25.0%) was the most frequently reported maternal early sign, followed by flu-like illness, asymptomatic infection, low-grade or mild fever, and fatigue or malaise (each 10.7%). Congenital anomalies (50.0%) and miscarriage or spontaneous abortion (42.9%) were the most commonly reported foetal and pregnancy outcomes. Frequently reported risk factors were exposure to cat faeces (57.1%) and ingestion of undercooked or raw meat (42.9%). Diagnostic approaches were commonly enzyme-based immunoassays (78.6%), with limited use of RDTs and molecular methods. These findings suggest the need for improved early detection and prevention strategies in high-risk, low-resource African settings. Enhancing routine screening, health education, and access to appropriate diagnostics are considered. Future studies should consider adopting standardised reporting and integrating sensitive, affordable, rapid diagnostic approaches to enhance early detection and reduce the burden of congenital toxoplasmosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Toxoplasma gondii: Epidemiology, Clinical Challenges, and Case Insights)
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