[Epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in Costa Rica: the importance of domestic rodents]. / Epidemiología de la toxoplasmosis en Costa Rica: importanci de los roedores domésticos.

ABSTRACT

A positive dye test for Toxoplasma antibodies was observed in 5% of 100 mice (Mus musculus) and 30.4% of 23 rats (Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus). The parasite was isolated from two mice. The animals were captured in several urban localities in the metropolitan area of San José, Costa Rica. The number of positive animals found appears to be enough to infect cats, whose principal source of infections are the Toxoplasma cysts in the rodents. Therefore it is apparent that domestic mice and rats, besides the felines play an important role in the epidemiology of Toxoplasmosis in Costa Rica. Additional studies showed that the presence of Eimeria falciformis, a common coccidian in domestic mice, did not inhibit the Toxoplasma infections in these rodents.