Toxoplasmosis: symptoms in children. Diagnosis and treatment of toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a contagious disease that is caused by intracellular parasites. The path of transmission of parasites is alimentary. It affects the nervous system, skeletal muscles, myocardium, liver and spleen. There is congenital and acquired toxoplasmosis. Symptoms in children depend on the degree of damage to the body and the ability of immunity to resist the disease. The disease has a tendency to change into a chronic form. This article tells about toxoplasmosis in children. Symptoms, causes and diagnosis of the disease are also detailed in the relevant sections of the material.

Epidemiology

Toxoplasmosis belongs to a group of diseases that have a natural focality, and is characterized by a fairly wide range of hosts. Toxoplasmosis affects wild animals - rats, rabbits, monkeys, as well as domestic animals - cats, dogs, cows. In view of the very close contact of these animals with man, man also becomes infected. Also, infection occurs through dirty hands. Toxoplasmosis (symptoms in children are described in detail below) is often transmitted to children with animal meat and chicken eggs.

Causes of the disease

The causative agent of the disease is the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite has dimensions about 5x3 microns, and in shape resembles a piece of orange, one edge of which is pointed more than the other. Toksoplazmy reproduce asexually in various tissues of the host - liver, placenta, central nervous system. In view of the unformed immunity, children in the womb are unable to resist such a dangerous parasite as toxoplasmosis. Symptoms in children who have contracted from the mother during pregnancy do not show themselves to the mother in a way. It is believed that if the disease is in an active stage in the mother, then the child is also sick.

Main sources of infection

Oocysts of toxoplasma are contained in the ground, children's sandbox, cat's toilet, as well as in meat and eggs that have not undergone sufficient heat treatment.

Very often children become infected from domestic cats and dogs, after consuming poorly cooked meat and from infected animals.

Congenital toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is divided into two types: congenital and acquired. The congenital variant of the disease is transmitted to the child in the mother's womb. This situation is very dangerous for the health of the baby. So, the transmission of the disease in the early stages of pregnancy almost always leads to a spontaneous termination of pregnancy. In the case when infection occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy, the fetus often receives irreversible damage to the central nervous system. In such cases, doctors send the pregnant woman to perform preterm labor. Relatively favorable may end the pregnancy in those cases when in the third trimester it was found toxoplasmosis in children. Symptoms of the disease in this case can be identified only when the baby is born. There are possible manifestations in the mother, but they can not always be differentiated from the usual cold, as in adults this disease flows quite gently and imperceptibly. Detection of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women usually occurs by chance, during the delivery of routine analyzes. Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in children can be seen only after birth. Children infected in utero in the third trimester of pregnancy have a fairly good chance of recovering without critical complications.

Acquired toxoplasmosis

This type of disease for the child is much less dangerous and in most cases is successfully treated or regressed independently. Without treatment, the disease can also go into a chronic form. Small children suffering from toxoplasmosis can tolerate this disease in acute and chronic forms. The second is less often diagnosed, since it often occurs without clinically expressed symptoms. The acute form of the disease is difficult but can be treated successfully.

Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis

Physicians try to cover in detail the problem of infecting children with a disease such as toxoplasmosis. Symptoms, analysis, treatment in children are detailed in popular science articles and magazines for mothers. However, due to the fact that the disease most often occurs without significant clinical signs, mothers do not notice its onset and mistakenly take symptoms of toxoplasmosis in the acute period for ARVI.

To diagnose the disease, a serological blood test is performed to determine the antibodies to the causative agent of the disease. An auxiliary role in the diagnosis may be examination of the fundus, assessment of the ECG and EEG, X-ray of the skull, as well as examination of the affected muscles.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis

The incubation period after entering the body of toxoplasm lasts from 2 days to 3 weeks, but it can be extended up to several months. The duration of this period depends on the activity of toxoplasm, the state of immunity of the child and the massiveness of infection.

Toxoplasmosis in children symptoms (treatment, the causes of the occurrence are described in detail in this article) in the acute period has the following:

• A sharp rise in temperature to + 38 ° C;
• An increase in the size of the liver and spleen;
• Weakness, headache and drowsiness of the child;
• Chills, muscle aches, joint pains;
• loss of appetite;
• Generalized patchy-papular rash on the skin surface;
• Enlargement of lymph nodes throughout the body;
• Violation from the eyes - can be expressed by the clouding of the lens or strabismus.

All these manifestations of the disease indicate that a large number of parasites have got into the body of the child, and children's immunity can not cope with the pathogen. In this situation, the child requires immediate treatment.

Toxoplasmosis in children, symptoms, types of this disease are very similar to the manifestations of many well-known mums diseases - ARVI, influenza. Therefore, with any anxiety symptoms, you should consult a doctor.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in children who develop in chronic form may not manifest themselves at all, but the parents should be alerted to the situation when the child periodically experiences the mild symptoms listed above.

Prevention of disease

Toxoplasmosis symptoms in children are mild, a child without health consequences can live with the disease all his life. However, not every organism is able to withstand the causative agent in due measure, therefore parents should take care of the prevention of the disease and protect the child from infection.

Preventive measures should be as follows:

1. Pets should be checked periodically for toxoplasmosis.
2. If there are sick animals in the house, the communication of the child with them should be limited to the maximum extent possible. In particular, a child should not have access to a cat's toilet, and cats should sleep exclusively in strictly designated places.
3. Meat and egg products must be thoroughly heat treated.
4. Children's play areas should be kept clean.
5. The child should observe the rules of personal hygiene - wash hands before meals and after walks, eat carefully peeled fruits and vegetables.
6. Pregnant women must definitely pass an analysis to determine antibodies to toxoplasm, and newborns should be tested at birth. Seronegative methods of diagnosis should be repeated in each trimester of pregnancy.
7. During pregnancy, a woman should limit contact with animals and take care of the choice of foods.

Treatment of toxoplasmosis

Treatment of the disease is prescribed by an infectious disease doctor or a therapist and is conducted under their control. During treatment, the parameters of the hematopoietic function of the body, hepatic assays and indicators of kidney function are strictly monitored.

A set of anti-toxoplasmic drugs usually includes hormonal therapy (glucocorticoids), the removal of allergic manifestations with the help of antihistamines. Stimulants of the hematopoietic function of the body, sedatives and vitamin complexes are also used.

Children who have experienced acute toxoplasmosis, as well as those who have the disease in chronic form, are examined regularly by a neuropathologist, oculist and infectious disease specialist for re-infection and complications.