Toxoplasma gondii infections can be completely cured with modern medicine
the verdict
REFUTED
the evidence says no
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
1 source for · 3 against
Peer-reviewed literature establishes that current medical treatments are unable to clear latent-stage Toxoplasma gondii infections, meaning infections cannot be completely cured by modern medicine.
gnificant immunologic improvement is achieved in response to antiretroviral therapy. Pyrimethamine, folinic acid (leucovorin), and sulfadiazine are standards of therapy for immunodeficient patients.
Additional resources
Toxoplasma gondii Encephalitis | NIH (hiv.gov)
Toxoplasmosis | NIH (hiv.gov)
Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention of Congenital Toxoplasmosis in the United States | Pediatrics | American Academy of Pediatrics (aap.org)
This information is provided as an informational resource for licensed health care providers as guidance only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional judgment.
Care precautions
Pyrimethamine
Treatment in Pregnancy
Pyrimethamine is a pregnancy category C drug. Data on the use of pyrimethamine in pregnant women are limited. Pyrimethamine is commonly used in combination with sulfadiazine and folinic acid for treatment of fetal toxoplasmosis during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. In malaria prevention interventions for which the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the benefit of treatment outweighs the risk, WHO allows use of pyrimethamine in combination with sulfadoxine in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Available evidence suggests avoiding pyrimethamine during the 1st trimester and supplementing pyrimethamine with folinic acid in pregnant women.
Pregnancy Category C: Either studies in animals have revealed adverse effects on the fetus (teratogenic or embryocidal, or other) and there are no controlled studies in women or studies in women and animals are not available. Drugs should be given only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
Treatment During Lactation
Pyrimethamine is excreted in breast milk. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the WHO classify pyrimethamine to be compatible with breast-feeding. Pyrimethamine when used in combination with other drugs should be used with caution in breast-feeding women.
Treatment in Pediatric Patients
The safety of pyrimethamine in children
Primary <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> infection is usually subclinical, but cervical lymphadenopathy or ocular disease can be present in some patients. Active infection is characterized by tachyzoites, while tissue cysts characterize latent disease. Infection in the fetus and in immunocompromised patients can cause devastating disease. The combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine (pyr-sulf), targeting the active stage of the infection, is the current gold standard for treating toxoplasmosis, but failure rates remain significant. Although other regimens are available, including pyrimethamine in combination with clindamycin, atovaquone, clarithromycin, or azithromycin or monotherapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) or atovaquone, none have been found to be superior to pyr-sulf, and no regimen is active against the latent stage of the infection. Furthermore, the efficacy of these regimens against ocular disease remains uncertain. In multiple studies, systematic screening for <i>Toxoplasma</i> infection during gestation, followed by treatment with spiramycin for acute maternal infections and with pyr-sulf for those with established fetal infection, has been shown to be effective at preventing vertical transmission and minimizing the severity of congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). Despite significant progress in treating human disease, there is a strong impetus to develop novel therapeutics for both the acute and latent forms of the infection. Here we present an overview of toxoplasmosis treatment in humans and in animal models. Additional research is needed to identify novel drugs by use of innovative high-throughput screening technologies and to improve experimental models to reflect human disease. Such advances will pave the way for lead candidates to be tested in thoroughly designed clinical trials in defined patient populations.
No effective drug and definitive “gold standard” treatment for Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection has been available so far, though some medicines have been commonly used in the treatment of T. gondii infection, such as spiramycin, azithromycin, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), pyrimethamine- sulfadiazine (P-S), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX), and pyrimethamine-clindamycin (P-C). A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to compare the efficacies of these conventional medicines in the treatment. Cohort studies for the treatment of acute T. gondii infection were sear
Activity of roxithromycin against Toxoplasma gondii in murine models.
Investigations into the activity of roxithromycin against murine toxoplasma infections are reviewed. Roxithromycin is an active drug against murine toxoplasmosis after intraperitoneal challenge with the RH strain of Toxoplasma gondii. Roxithromycin protected 100% of mice after five daily doses of 540 mg per kg administered by gavage. The cure rate after treatment of peritoneal infections seemed to be related to the length of the therapy. Roxithromycin also decreased the number of toxoplasma cysts, after intracerebral infection with the C56 strain and showed synergistic activity when combined with gamma interferon. Thus, roxithromycin could be a worthwhile alternative to current therapy against toxoplasma infections. Clinical studies on its activity and safety, especially in pregnancy, are warranted.
Published in The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy (1987)
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