TOXOPLASMOSIS IN MAN AND SWINE—AN INVESTIGATION OF THE POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP

Abstract

Today, toxoplasmosis is considered to be one of the very common infections of man—an opinion that is contrary to that held 10 years ago. However, most of these infections are well tolerated, and usually it is only the exceptional acute case that receives clinical attention and postmortem verification. Data on prevalence derive, therefore, not from clinical studies but from surveys based on serologic data or skin tests. These surveys, regardless of type, show roughly the same findings: The number of infected individuals 0-5 years of age is low, with the number increasing at 5 years of age. From this age onward the increase is progressive, reaching a peak sometime after individuals reach 40 years of age. It is not widely known perhaps that peak incidences in the United States range from 30 to 70% of the population at ages of from 40 to 60 years, the precise figures varying according