The Facts
Toxoplasmosis (also known as "litter box disease") is an infection
caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This single-celled creature
is capable of living in a wide range of birds and mammals. In humans it usually
causes no symptoms. On average, it inhabits 15% to 20% of the population in
North America; the infection rate is even higher in other parts of the world.
Toxoplasmosis usually lies dormant, but occasionally it reactivates to cause
disease. Usually this happens when some other disease weakens the immune system.
Toxoplasmosis is considered an opportunistic infection, one that shouldn't
harm healthy people but can be very serious if your immune defenses are down.
It's a leading cause of death in people with AIDS. It also threatens the fetus
if an expectant mother catches it during pregnancy.