Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of which infection?

• A. Toxoplasmosis
• B. Malaria
• C. Chagas disease
• D. Giardiasis

Answer: (A)

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. This infection can be acquired in several ways, including through undercooked meat containing tissue cysts or via oocysts in cat feces, and it often remains dormant in the body. In people with healthy immune systems it may be mild or without symptoms, but it can cause serious problems for a fetus if a pregnant person becomes infected, and for individuals with weakened immunity, it can lead to encephalitis and other complications. The other infections listed are caused by different organisms: malaria is due to Plasmodium species, Chagas disease by Trypanosoma cruzi, and giardiasis by Giardia lamblia. The disease name toxoplasmosis directly reflects the causative parasite, making this the correct pairing.