[Toxoplasmosis and mental diseases]

One hundred mentally handicapped patients admitted to the 10 de octubre clinical-surgical teaching hospital in the Havana city, 100 patients admitted to the day hospital of such institution and 100 normal subjects were studied. The first two groups had different psychiatric diseases. They underwent toxoplasmin tests. The percentage of reactors increased from 30% among healthy subjects to 45,9% among the those attending the day hospital and to 60% among those admitted to wards; this is statistically significative. It is concluded that the higher the severity of the psychiatric disease, the poorer the hygienic habits and the higher the contact with the parasite phocuses.