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Article: Severe acquired toxoplasmosis caused by wild cycle of Toxoplasma gondii, French Guiana.(THE AMAZON REGION: DISPATCHES)(Report)
- Article from:
- Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Article date:
- April 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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French Guiana is a French territory in South America; the Amazon rain forest covers 92% of the territory. Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan parasitic disease. It is usually benign in patients without immunosuppression, but in French Guiana, it is a major public health problem, mainly because of the high prevalence of AIDS and because of an emerging severe form of acquired toxoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients.
The Cases
Until 1998, only 2 cases of severe primary toxoplasmosis had been reported in French Guiana, in 1992 (1) and 1997 (2). However, from 1998 through 2006, 44 cases occurred (3-5). All patients were immunocompetent (not HIV-infected) ...