Most cases of toxoplasmosis are mild and do not require treatment. Either no symptoms develop or a full recovery is made without complications.
If you are diagnosed with toxoplasmosis, your GP will recommend the most appropriate treatment plan for you. This will depend on your health and what symptoms you have.
If you have severe symptoms you may be prescribed a combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine, or a medication called azithromycin which is given on its own. Folic acid supplements may also be recommended.
This treatment is usually given for three to six weeks. If further courses of treatment are required, there will be a rest period of two weeks in between.
If you have HIV or AIDS, you may need to take medication until anti-HIV therapy has restored your immune function.
Pregnant women
If you are pregnant and become infected with toxoplasmosis for the first time, you may be treated with an antibiotic called spiramycin.
Spiramycin may reduce the risk of your unborn baby becoming infected and limit the severity of congenital toxoplasmosis if your baby does become infected.
There is some evidence to suggest that the earlier treatment starts, the lower the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis. However, in most cases, whether or not your baby becomes infected will depend on when you were infected.
Overall, about 30-40% of mothers who are infected with toxoplasmosis give birth to a baby with congenital toxoplasmosis.
Antibiotic treatments are not always effective at preventing the damage caused by congenital toxoplasmosis in the unborn baby. Sulfadiazine plus pyrimethamine are usually prescribed in cases where tests show that the baby has become infected in the womb (congenital infection).
However, until more research has been carried out, these antibiotics remain the most effective form of treatment for toxoplasmosis.
Congenital toxoplasmosis
If your baby is born with congenital toxoplasmosis, he or she will be examined to see whether the infection has caused any damage. They will have the following tests:
- blood test - blood will be taken either from a vein in your baby’s arm or by pricking the skin of their heel, and the sample will then be tested for toxoplasmosis antibodies
- eye examination - an ophthalmologist (a specialist in diagnosing and treating eye conditions) will examine your baby’s eyes to check for any lesions at the back of the eye (affecting the retina choroid)
- an X-ray or scan - may be taken of your baby’s head to check for any brain damage
Congenital toxoplasmosis is usually treated with antibiotics. These will probably be a combination of pyrimethamine plus sulfadiazine.
Pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine have been found to be effective for moderately and severely affected babies. One study found that 72% of babies with moderate or severe congenital toxoplasmosis had normal intelligence and motor function by their early teenage years.
Treatment with these medications may continue for up to a year. Unfortunately, some babies with congenital toxoplasmosis develop long-term disabilities because it is not possible for antibiotics to undo any damage that has already been done. It is also possible for eye infections to reoccur at a later stage of childhood.
Read more about the complications of congenital toxoplasmosis.
