Toxoplasma blood test

A blood sample is needed .

There is no special preparation for the test.

When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people may feel moderate pain. Others feel only a prick or stinging. Afterward, there may be some throbbing or a slight bruise. This soon goes away.

The test is done when the health care provider suspects that you have toxoplasmosis . The infection is a danger to a developing baby if a pregnant woman gets infected. It is also dangerous in people with HIV/AIDS . In pregnant women, the test is done to: Check if a woman has a current infection or had an infection in…

Normal results mean you have likely never had a toxoplasma infection. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test result.

Abnormal results mean that you have probably been infected with the parasite. Two types of antibodies are measured, IgM and IgG: If the level of IgM antibodies is raised, you likely became infected in the recent past (or currently). If the level of IgG antibodies is raised, you became infected sometime in the past.

There is little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight, but may include: Excessive…

Mathison BA, Pritt BS. Medical parasitology. In: McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods . 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 65. Montoya JG, Boothroyd JC, Kovacs JA. Toxoplasma gondii . In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and…