What is Toxoplasmosis and How Does it Affect Your Eyes?

Toxoplasmosis is a condition caused by a parasite that is transmitted by household pets, commonly cats. This condition can result in major effects in the eyes and impact vision.

Toxoplasma Gondii

The parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis is called toxoplasma gondii. This is a single cell organism that is lives within the host cells.

This parasite can infect different species of mammals including humans and cats as well as other animals like reptiles and birds.

The toxoplasma parasite can be transmitted to humans by consuming undercooked meat or by exposure to droppings from an infected animal.

This is often associated with cat litter boxes and having multiple cats or kittens is considered a major risk factor for toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy

In addition to direct exposure to the parasite, toxoplasmosis can be transmitted via the placenta to a fetus in the womb.

Since the child is at a very high risk for having symptoms from the infection acquired during pregnancy, it is encouraged to highly avoid any risky environments while pregnant.

Pregnant women should not change a cat litter box or consume raw or undercooked meat. This will limit the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis and transmitting it to the fetus.

Symptoms of Toxoplasmosis

Ocular toxoplasmosis has a variety of presentations and different symptoms may accompany the different presentations.

The most severe cases of toxoplasmosis can cause scarring in the back of the eyes which impacts the best possible vision.

The part of the retina that is responsible for the center and best vision is called the macula. This region can be scarred by the inflammation that comes from toxoplasmosis.

If the scarring from toxoplasmosis is large or central, it may reduce the best possible vision in one or both eyes.

Other symptoms may develop if the best vision is reduced including nystagmus, meaning the eyes move back and forth. Another symptom that may occur is eccentric viewing, meaning that the eyes are not using the center of the retina to look straight ahead.

If one eye is affected more than the other, the worse eye may develop an eye turn or amblyopia (lazy eye).

Treatment Options

To treat an active toxoplasmosis infection, there are anti-parasitic medications that can be taken. These medications help to rid the body of the parasite and end the active infection.

The majority of issues from ocular toxoplasmosis are not from an active infection but from the residual scarring that the infection causes.

As the parasite infects the tissue in the back of the eye, there can be large amounts of inflammation and result in scars forming in the retina.

There is no treatment to repair the scar tissue but if the scarred tissue is pulling on the remaining healthy tissue, there are laser procedures to stop the traction on the healthy tissue.

Prognosis for Toxoplasmosis

For people affected by ocular toxoplasmosis, most often the diagnosis is made after the infection is no longer active.

At this point in the disease, the eyes are stable, and vision is not expected to get worse than it currently is.

It is possible to have 20/20 vision or be legally blind depending on the type and severity of the retinal scars caused by toxoplasmosis.

Dr. Nathan Abraham and the staff of the Abraham Eye Center specializes in cataract surgery, LASIK, PRK, and various corneal surgeries.  Call our ophthalmologist in Valencia, CA today at 661-977-7377 or schedule an appointment online if you are interested in learning more about toxoplasmosis.  Our eye doctor provides only the highest quality eye care and surgical services amongst eye doctors in the Valencia California area.