The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study of the possible diagnostic significance of Toxoplasma-neutralizing antibodies in determining the cause of chorioretinitis.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Epidemiology.
—Toxoplasma is a protozoón of uncertain classification first observed in the North African rodent gondi and named by Nicolle and Manceau1 in 1909. Since then a large number of animal species, including birds, from various parts of the world have been described as natural hosts for this parasite. Animal toxoplasmosis is considered the source of human infection, although the manner of transmission among animals and from animals to man is unknown. The biologic and immunologic relationship between a human and an animal strain of Toxoplasma has been demonstrated.2
Properties of Toxoplasma.
—In strained smears (fig. 1) the organisms are crescentic, oval or piriform in shape, measuring 4 to 7 microns in length and 2 to 4 microns