FOODBORNE OUTBREAKS OF HUMAN TOXOPLASMOSIS

Two outbreaks of acute toxoplasmosis involving 8 adult patients in Kor ea were linked to eating uncooked pork, In the first outbreak, 3 patie nts developed unilateral chorioretinitis within 3 months of eating a m eal consisting of raw spleen and liver of a wild pig, in the second ou tbreak, 5 of 11 soldiers who ate a meal consisting of raw liver of a d omestic 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 incorporati ng mercaptoethanol, and latex agglutination test. T. gondii IgM antibo dies persisted in these patients for several months. Most patients had a favorable response to anti-T. gondii chemotherapy with pyrimethamin e and sulfanomides.