Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasma gondii, Cytomegalovirus and the compromised host.
Year: 1979
Type: article
Abstract: Pneumocystis carinii and Toxoplasma gondii are the two major parasitic protozoan pathogens in the immunocompromised host. Both organisms cause latent infection in humans and many animals. Cats are the definitive hosts for toxoplasmosis; the animal vector for pneumocystis (if any) has not been defined. Toxoplasma is an obligate intracellular parasite, whereas the available evidence suggests that Pneumocystis carinii exists primarily extracellularly. In compromised hosts, pneumocystis infection usually involves only lungs, whereas toxoplasma causes a generalized infection with encephalitis being the principal clinical manifestation. Both types of infection are treated with combinations of folate antagonists (trimethoprim or pyrimethamine with sulfonamide). Both parasites are associated with cytomegalovirus infection in immunosuppressed hosts, an association which may be due to symbiosis between parasites, or to an additive immunosuppressive effect of dual infection on the hosts.
Source: PubMed Central
Authors: F W Ryning, J Mills
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W21789834