Toxoplasma gondii in vegetables, fruit and meat
Tissue cysts from raw or undercooked meats has been recognized as an important cause of Toxoplasmosis, and it is an increasingly awareness of the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables as important routes of transmission. Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly is recommended to dilute the amount of oocyst present on the foods.
Facts about Toxoplasma
Burden: The disease burden of Toxoplasma in Europe is 6 DALY per 100 000 people each year (equals to 73 000 DALY each year). DALY: (Disability Adjusted Life years) is a measure for the total health burden where one DALY can be thought of as one year of “healthy” life lost. Cases: 1 mill European citizens suffer from Toxoplasma infection each year. Deaths: The numbers of deaths caused by toxoplasma is not known. Sources: Meat and fresh produce are considered to be important sources of food-borne infection in Europe, but the exact contribution of different food-borne routes is still a major research question.
The health burden on society is high because of complications such as abortion, stillbirth, mortality and hydrocephalus. Even the the amount of cases are very low, the unborn or newborn child is potentially missing out on many years of healthy life.