What is Toxoplasma?
{{italictitle}} {{Taxobox | name = ''Toxoplasma gondii'' | image = Toxoplasma gondii tachy.jpg | image_width = 200px | image_caption = ''T. gondii'' [[tachyzoite]]s | regnum = [[Protista]] | phylum = [[Apicomplexa]] | classis = [[Conoidasida]] | subclassis = [[Coccidia]]sina | ordo = [[Eucoccidiorida]] | familia = [[Sarcocystidae]] | genus = '''''Toxoplasma''''' | binomial = ''Toxoplasma gondii''}} '''''Toxoplasma gondii''''' is a [[protozoa]]n [[parasite]] that can infect almost all [[warm-blooded]] [[animal]]s, including [[human]]s.<ref>Weiss, Louis M. & Kami Kim, eds. 2011. ''Toxoplasma gondii: the model Apicomplexan: perspectives and methods''. Academic Press/Elsevier, London, p49.</ref><ref name=Dubey>Dubey J.P. 2010. ''Toxoplasmosis of animals and humans. 2nd ed, CRC Press. {{ISBN|978-1-4200-9237-0}}</ref> In humans, it is one of the most common parasites.<ref>{{cite web|title=CDC – About Parasites|url=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/about.html|accessdate=12 March 2013}}</ref> Blood test show that up to a third of the world population has been or is infected with ''T. gondii''. Infection rates differ greatly from country to country.<ref name=Pappas2009>{{cite journal|title=Toxoplasmosis snapshots: global status of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and implications for pregnancy and congenital toxoplasmosis.|journal=International Journal for Parasitology|date=2009|volume=39|issue=12|pages=1385–94|pmid=19433092|doi=10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.04.003|last1=Pappas|first1=Georgios|last2=Roussos|first2=Nikos|last3=Falagas|first3=Matthew E.}}</ref> Although mild, flu-like symptoms occasionally occur during the first few weeks, infection with ''T. gondii'' generally produces no symptoms in healthy human adults.<ref name=CDCdisease>{{cite web|title=CDC Parasites – Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma infection) – Disease|url=https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/toxoplasmosis/disease.html|accessdate=12 March 2013}}</ref> But in infants, [[HIV/AIDS]] patients, and others with [[Immune system|weakened immunity]], infection can cause serious