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Toxoplasmosis cases declining in high-income countries
People can become infected with toxoplasmosis by eating food or drinking water contaminated with parasites shed in the faeces of infected cats.

Researchers identify changing epidemiology of this harmful foetal disease.

Human toxoplasmosis rates have been declining in high-income countries over the past six decades, according to new research.

However, an epidemiological "peak shift" - where more women contract the disease for the first time during pregnancy rather than before motherhood - can cause transient spikes in high prevalence countries.

The study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and published in the journal Trends in Parasitology analysed six decades of data from more than a quarter of a million people from 19 countries. 

As well as highlighting the changing epidemiology of toxoplasmosis, the study also found gaps in the current understanding of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in low- and middle-income countries, and calls for this to be addressed in future research.

It also suggests that pregnant women from countries predicted to experience a rise in cases may benefit from the introduction of temporary screening programmes and a reassessment of the cost-effectiveness of these programmes to consider related disorders.

RVC lead researcher and postdoctoral scientist Dr Gregory Milne said: “Toxoplasma causes a large public health burden, from severe congenital disease among infants, to fatal infections among people with compromised immune systems, to other more subtle changes in host behaviour. It is therefore promising news to find consistent evidence of decreases in parasite exposure in many populations and countries. 

“We show that more data are needed to assess the trajectories of exposure trends in lower-income countries. Our findings nonetheless caution against complacency: in high-prevalence countries, despite decreasing parasite exposure, cases of congenital disease may counterintuitively increase as more women acquire primary infections in pregnancy.”

Toxoplasmosis affects some 190,000 pregnancies globally every year and occurs when pregnant women become infected with the parasite T. gondii for the first time, passing the infection to the foetus. Of the 19,000 annually reported cases, three per cent of infected infants die before one month of age, sometimes before birth, and those who survive can experience issues with their vision and development.

Around one-third of the human population is thought to have been exposed to T.gondii. People can become infected by eating food or drinking water contaminated
 with parasites shed in the faeces of infected cats. 

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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Germany livestock import ban lifted

The UK government has amended its ban on the import of livestock, meat and dairy products from Germany.

Defra said the decision follows 'rigorous technical assessment' of the measures applied and the current situation. "If the situation changes, we will not hesitate to take necessary action in response to the FMD outbreaks in the European Union to protect our domestic biosecurity," it said.

The ban was implemented in January following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) near Berlin. Personal imports of meat, milk and dairy products will remain in place at a country level.