Definition of "toxoplasmosis" [toxoplasmosis]

• A disease caused by the sporozoan Toxoplasma gondii, especially: (noun)
• A congenital disease characterized by lesions of the central nervous system that can cause blindness and brain damage. (noun)
• An acquired disease characterized by fever, swollen lymph nodes, and lesions in the liver, heart, lungs, and brain. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "One way to prevent getting toxoplasmosis is to wash your hands frequently and to wash raw fruit and vegetables in a slight vinegar solution, both of which I do."
• "Cat waste carries a disease, toxoplasmosis, which is harmless to most people but can be deadly to anyone with a compromised immune system."
• "The disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is called toxoplasmosis and has been linked to 'personality' changes in rats and mice."