Toxoplasma gondii Linked to Brain Tumor
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January 13, 2021
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Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite
Toxoplasma gondii, one of the world’s most common parasites. Infection usually occurs by eating undercooked contaminated meat, exposure from infected cat feces, or mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy. In the United States, it is estimated that 11% of the population six years and older have been infected with Toxoplasma. The parasite has been linked with Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and cancer. Now a new study suggests a link between the parasite infection and the risk of glioma, a type of brain tumor.
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A new study recently suggested that the parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which duplicates in cats and most frequently spreads through humans by means of raw meat, may increase the danger of having brain cancer in humans.
According to a Live Science report, this said finding now serves as another reason for people to cook meat and take care around cat litter.
In their work, the study authors found a relationship between the presence of T. gondii antibodies in the blood of people, specifying past exposure to the parasite, as well as the development of glioma, the most typical brain cancer type, after several years.
A food-borne pathogen may be linked to a type of rare brain cancer in adults, a new study suggests. Researchers found that people who have glioma are more likely to have antibodies to toxoplasma gondii than a similar group.
Exposure To Common Parasite In Undercooked Meat Linked To Brain Cancer Risk: Study
KEY POINTS
The parasite is also found in undercooked meat
Glioma can be fatal but it is still considered a rare cancer
Can a parasite lead to brain cancer? The researchers of a new study found evidence that people with antibodies for a parasite commonly found in undercooked meat could be more likely to develop a fatal type of
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a common parasite that can infect most warm-blooded species including humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (
CDC) said. According to the researchers of a new study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, these parasites can also lead to the formation of cysts in the brain.
Researchers from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta examined the link between T. gondii (pictured inset) and glioma - a type of tumour that occurs in the brain and spinal cord.