Renato Augusto DaMatta

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1. Introduction Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous protozoan pathogen that has three infectious life stages: tachyzoites, bradyzoites in tissue cysts, and sporozoites in oocysts. The definitive hosts of T. gondii, domestic and wild felids, are the only animals that can shed environmentally resistant oocysts in their feces. Although most infections are asymptomatic, T. gondii can cause mild to severe disease in intermediate hosts, including humans [1].