Toxoplasma Test - IgG

Toxoplasmosis is a disease that is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii. The parasite can only be seen by a microscope. Mostly in healthy adults, the infection proves to be harmless.

However, if a pregnant woman is diagnosed with the infection, then it may be transmitted to her unborn child. The infection may result in miscarriages, stillbirths or can lead to severe problems in the newborn such as mental retardation, blindness and an enlarged liver or spleen. Some babies may look normal at birth but may develop complications with age, such as chronic eye and ear infection, learning disabilities, etc.

The infection is highly dangerous for the person with a weakened immune system and may damage the nervous system, cause headaches, seizures, confusion, fever, encephalitis, loss of coordination, blurred vision, etc. To detect the disease, the Toxoplasma IgG test is ordered by the doctors. It's a blood test that checks the presence of antibodies to the toxoplasma gondii parasite in your body.

Some causes of the infection are mentioned below:

• Eating unwashed or adulterated food or eating raw meat
• Coming in contact with contaminated soil
• Drinking contaminated water or unpasteurized milk
• Cleaning cat litter

In India, people, especially women residing in mud houses, are more exposed to the risk of contracting the disease. The disease is common in South India as most of the people in this region were found with toxoplasmosis antibodies in their bodies. Women living in the west part are at the lowest risk. Overall, an estimated 56,737–176,882 children per year are born with a high risk of congenital toxoplasmosis in India.

Abnormalities in the foetus, Toxoplasmosis infection in a newborn child

The test specifically looks for the serum antibodies to the toxoplasma parasite in the person's body and determines whether you have the infection or not.

Healthcare experts generally prescribe the toxoplasma IgG test to the persons having the below-mentioned symptoms:

• Flu-like illness
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Fever and night sweats
• Weakness and fatigue
• Headache and body aches
• Sore throat
• Eye inflammation and fever
• Diarrhoea and vomiting
• Weight loss
• Neurological symptoms
• Jaundice (yellowing of eyes and body)
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Difficulty in breathing due to pneumonia
• Anorexia

Doctors also prescribe this test to a person having the following diseases or conditions:

• During pregnancy
• A person with a weak immune system
• HIV-positive persons

The test is not routinely ordered for pregnant women but may be ordered if the doctor wants to determine if a woman has previously had Toxoplasmosis and if she has come in contact with cat litter, eaten raw or undercooked meat or had contaminated food/water.

If a person is diagnosed with toxoplasmosis, a disease caused by the toxoplasma gondii parasite, in the first test, then further tests are ordered by the healthcare provider to confirm results. The tests can also be repeated while the person is on medication for toxoplasmosis to check the effectiveness of the medication. In pregnant women, the test can be repeated 10 days after the birth of the child.

Before the Test

Usually, a Toxoplasma test does not need any special preparation. However, if you are undergoing this test alongside another, your medical professional might advise you to avoid eating specific food items. It's always advisable to speak with your physician prior to the test for optimal outcomes.

During the Test

The procedure involves drawing blood from a vein in your arm. Here's what you can expect during the test:

• The site where the needle will be pushed is cleaned with an antiseptic solution.
• A tourniquet band is applied around your arm to enhance the visibility of the veins.
• A needle is inserted into the vein to collect the blood sample. This process may take a few seconds, and you might feel a brief, sharp pinch.
• The blood is collected in a container or a small test tube labelled with your information.

After the Test

After the blood is collected:

• A bandage is applied over the needle insertion site to stop any bleeding.
• It is common to experience minor bruising, but feeling dizzy is less frequent. You may be required to rest for a few minutes.
• Contact your healthcare provider if you notice bleeding, discomfort, or develop a rash at the needle insertion site.

The following parameters are included in the Toxoplasma Gondii test:

• Ascertain whether the blood sample has antibodies to the toxoplasma Gondii parasite.
• Detects the toxoplasma infection in a pregnant woman, her unborn baby or in a person having a weak immune system.

In the Toxoplasma IgG test report, your antibody levels are expressed in international units per millilitre (IU/mL). The test determines whether you have toxoplasmosis disease. The number and type of antibodies in your body indicates whether the infection was new or old. Your healthcare expert may order more than one test for further analysis.

Usually, in adults, toxoplasmosis causes no harmful problems and does not require treatment. However, if a pregnant woman contracts the infection, it may pass to her unborn child. The infection may damage the brain of the child and may cause blindness.

A person who has a weakened immune system is more exposed and at more risk to the toxoplasma gondii infection. After contracting the infection, your body will have toxoplasma gondii antibodies for the rest of your life. That usually means that you will not contract the infection again. The Toxoplasma test results are generally produced within 3 days.

The Toxoplasma Test reports take 1 to 3 days to be ready and are usually given in titers. A titer is a measurement of blood sample concentration diluted with saline before the antibodies can no longer be found.

Toxoplasma IgG Test ranges laboratory-wise. Your lab report should show the range that your lab uses for each test. These ranges serve their purpose as a guide. Your healthcare expert analyses your toxoplasma report on the basis of your age, health and other related factors. Toxoplasma normal range may not be normal for you, but another range might be normal for you, depending on the analysis of your doctor.

The toxoplasma results are generally expressed in infection positive/negative. Below-mentioned is reference values of the test:

The normal values and reference ranges of the test may vary from lab to lab. Please refer to the ranges mentioned in the report and consult a doctor to understand the interpretation of lab reports.

Positive test results generally indicate that you are infected with the toxoplasmosis disease at present or have contracted the disease before. If you have ever come in contact with the toxoplasma gondii, antibodies will be present in your blood or usually form within 2 weeks after you are infected with the disease. You will test positive for the antibodies after they are formed in the blood.

However, being positive doesn't necessarily mean that you have toxoplasmosis at present.

If you've tested positive earlier, then your doctor might order further tests to determine the exact time when you had the infection.

If a pregnant woman is tested positive, then her foetus has a higher chance of getting the infection. In such a case, the doctors generally test your amniotic fluid and the foetus' blood. He may also order the ultrasound to determine whether the foetus has been infected.

If your foetus is diagnosed with toxoplasmosis disease, then you may require genetic counselling.

You may terminate the pregnancy, depending on the gestation period. However, if you wish to continue the pregnancy, your doctor will prescribe certain antibiotics and other medications to reduce the further risk for the baby. A newborn having toxoplasma IgM antibodies in the body indicates a congenital infection.

A negative test result means that there are extremely fewer chances that the person has toxoplasmosis but doesn't rule out the risk of infection. Equivocal results indicate inconclusiveness of the results, so the doctor may order a second test 3 weeks after the first test to get accurate results.

Negative IgM and IgG results indicate that the person isn't immunized against toxoplasmosis and if a pregnant woman contracts the infection, it can get passed to the foetus. Positive IgG results indicate that the person has immunity against the parasite, so the foetus isn't at risk.