[Not Available]

Toxoplasmosis is one of the more common parasitic zoonoses world-wide. The organism causing the disease, Toxoplasma gondii, may infect a broad spectrum of hosts and it has developed several potential routes for transmission within and between different host species. Food-borne toxoplasmosis in humans may result from exposure to different stages of the parasite, in particular from the ingestion of tissue cysts or tachyzoites which are contained in meat or primary offal (viscera) of many different animals, or from the ingestion of sporulated oocysts which are contained in the environment and may contaminate fruits and vegetables. Although the potential transmission of the parasite to humans via food has been known for several decades, the route which is the most important from an epidemiological point of view is still unknown. On one hand, the seroprevalence of human infections is higher in countries with high meat consumption compared to those with low meat consumption, but on the other hand up to 47% of strict vegetarians have been shown to possess antibodies against the parasite. It is likely that the transmission of the parasite to humans is not only influenced by the contamination of various food sources, but also by the consumers' behaviour, as preventive measures may significantly reduce the risk of contracting T. gondii infection.