Which of the following statements about toxoplasmosis is false?

• A. Pregnant women are at increased risk of complications from toxoplasmosis infection.
• B. Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
• C. Toxoplasmosis can only be transmitted from person to person through direct contact.
• D. Humans can acquire toxoplasmosis by ingesting undercooked meat containing tissue cysts.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the nature of toxoplasmosis. It is an infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which is important to recognize as it rules out bacterial or viral causes.
2. Step 2: Review the common transmission routes of toxoplasmosis. Humans typically acquire the infection by ingesting undercooked meat containing tissue cysts or by exposure to oocysts from cat feces, not primarily through direct person-to-person contact.
3. Step 3: Consider the risk factors for complications. Pregnant women are indeed at increased risk because the infection can cross the placenta and affect the fetus, leading to serious complications.
4. Step 4: Analyze the statement about transmission through direct contact. Since toxoplasmosis is not commonly transmitted directly from person to person (except in rare cases like organ transplantation or congenital transmission), the statement claiming it can only be transmitted this way is false.
5. Step 5: Summarize by identifying the false statement as the one that incorrectly limits transmission to direct person-to-person contact, while the other statements correctly describe the parasite, risk groups, and common transmission routes.