Um toxoplasmosis í Foroyum

Abstract

Two cases of toxoplasmosis occurred in the Faroes in October and December 1951. The first patient was an eight year old boy who fell ill with adenitis colli immediately after recovering from measles. In the case of the other patient, a man of 51, the illness strongly suggested sepsis; he ran a temperature, at times high, for six weeks. Toxoplasma reactions in the blood were markedly positive with both patients. The source of infeotion is unknown, but suspicion falls on the cats belonging to the patients' homes. One of these cats died of an unknown and uninvestigated complaint, which could conceivably have been toxoplasmosis. The other cat showed a positive neutralisation reaction (1:50) a year and a half after the owner's illness.
Blood from 22 adults, all living at home, was tested during 1952 and 1953 with toxoplasma reactions. 16 tests were negative, 5 showed very slight positive neutralisation reactions (1:10), while in a single case both reactions were positive (1:250 and 1:4). In this case the dog living in the house may well have been the source of infection. In 1947 this animal was attacked by a very prevalent, infectious and often fatal canine disease.