Case Studies For Microbiology For The Healthcare Professional 2

Week 8 Case StudyMicrobiologyHannah CooperSoon after birth a baby boy displays symptoms including convulsions, jaundice, an inflammation of the eyes, and microcephaly. A verbal history reveals the household owns three cats and the mother is the one who typically cleans up after them.Discussion1. On the basis of the symptoms and the details about the pets in the home, discuss the possible and probable disease and its causative pathogen(s). (See the description of congenital toxoplasmosis in the section Congenital Infections in Chapter 22.)The most probable disease is congenital toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite. The infant presents with multiple symptoms of this disease such as convulsions (seizures), jaundice, eye inflammation, and microcephaly (abnormal head size). These symptoms strongly align with the classic congenital toxoplasmosis triad: chorioretinitis, hydrocephalus, and intracranial calcifications, though not all must be present at birth. Toxoplasma gondii oocysts are shed in cat feces. Pregnant individuals can become infected by: cleaning cat litter boxes, handling contaminated soil, consuming undercooked meat, and exposure to insects that contacted cat feces. If the mother acquired a primary infection during pregnancy, the parasite can cross the placenta and infect the fetus. Although toxoplasmosis is the most