Latent Toxoplasmosis and Human
Dalimi، A نويسنده Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Dalimi, A , Abdoli، A نويسنده Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Abdoli, A
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic diseases worldwide. Although estimated that one third of the worldʹs population are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, but the most common form of the disease is latent (asymptomatic). On the other hand, recent findings indicated that latent toxoplasmosis is not only unsafe for human, but also may play various roles in the etiology of different mental disorders. This paper reviews new findings about importance of latent toxoplasmosis (except in immunocompromised patients) in alterations of behavioral parameters and also its role in the etiology of schizophrenia and depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Alzheimerʹs diseases and Parkinsonʹs disease, epilepsy, headache and or migraine, mental retardation and intelligence quotients, suicide attempt, risk of traffic accidents, sex ratio and some possible mechanisms of T. gondii that could contribute in the etiology of these alterations.