Foodborne outbreaks of human toxoplasmosis

Two outbreaks of acute toxoplasmosis involving 8 adult patients in Korea were linked to eating uncooked pork, In the first outbreak, 3 patients developed unilateral chorioretinitis within 3 months of eating a meal consisting of raw spleen and liver of a wild pig, in the second outbreak, 5 of 11 soldiers who ate a meal consisting of raw liver of a domestic pig developed lymphadenopathy, All 8 patients had high levels of IgG Toxoplasma gondii antibodies (greater than or equal to 1:1024) in the Sabin-Feldman dye test, modified agglutination test incorporating mercaptoethanol, and latex agglutination test. T. gondii IgM antibodies persisted in these patients for several months. Most patients had a favorable response to anti-T. gondii chemotherapy with pyrimethamine and sulfanomides.