Toxoplasmosis in Immunocompetent Children: A Narrative Mini-Review

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. T. gondii is found worldwide, with the possible exception of Antarctica. The parasite is capable of invading and replicating within almost all mammalian cells. It is estimated that approximately 25 to 35% of the world’s human population is infected with Toxoplasma. There are different clinical presentations depending on the immune status of the host. Infection with T. gondii in immunocompetent persons is generally asymptomatic. Acute infection is usually benign and self-limiting, and symptoms resolve within a few weeks to months without the need for anti-parasitic medication. However, T. gondii is an intracellular parasite that has successfully developed strategies to evade or manipulate the host’s immune response, forming tissue cysts in almost any tissue, although most commonly in the central nervous system, retina, myocardium, and muscle. As a result, T. gondii can survive throughout the host’s life as a latent long-term infection and potentially reactivate, usually in the brain or eye, if the host becomes immunocompromised. This is a narrative literature review of the clinical findings on acute, latent, and chronic T. gondii infections in immunocompetent children, with a particular focus on cases of disease associated with acquired infection.