Toxoplasma gondii in protected wildlife in the Tatra National Park (TANAP), Slovakia.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite that infects a broad spectrum of warm-blooded vertebrate species. As a part of the food chain, farm animals play a significant role in transmission of T. gondii to humans, while rats and mice serve as a main source of infection for free-living animals.

Occurrence and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in naturally infected pigs.

The protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects a wide range of warm-blooded vertebrates. The data about the occurrence of toxoplasmosis in slaughter pigs in the Slovak Republic are still missing. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pigs from Slovakia during the period of 2006-2010 by ELISA and PCR methods.

Molecular diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women.

Background: Novel approaches in the diagnostics of T. gondii have enabled a detection of the parasite in the amniotic fluid or blood of pregnant women.

Objective: The high titres of IgM and IgG antibodies against T.