Preface

*Toxoplasma gondii* is one of the most common protozoan parasites, affecting 10‒25% of the world's population. It has long been thought that toxoplasmosis is a disease mostly affecting neonates who have been infected with the parasite *in utero*. Toxoplasmosis acquired after birth is often an asymptomatic illness that lasts a lifetime. However, in immunocompromised individuals, such as those with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or those receiving organ transplants or intensive cancer treatment, chronic *T. gondii* infections may reactivate, and the result may be fatal. The capacity of *T. gondii* to invade every nucleated cell in humans and the majority of warm-blooded animals is what makes this infection so successful. *T. gondii* grows and lives within the cell after infection. A crucial requirement for lifetime persistence is the transition from the rapidly dividing tachyzoite stage to the quiescent bradyzoite stage.

*Towards New Perspectives on Toxoplasma gondii* brings together experts from across the world and offers detailed reviews and previously unpublished findings. Topics covered are the development of the schizont stages of *T. gondii* in primary cell culture of feline enterocytes; the effects of toxoplasmosis on host behavior, personality, and cognition; the three nutrient uptake portals in *Toxoplasma* tachyzoites; neuro-immunopathology; and how *Toxoplasma* infection can be diagnosed and prevented.

The editors would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of all the authors who have contributed to this book, and the support of the IntechOpen editorial team in bringing this project to completion.

**Saeed El-Ashram**

Faculty of Science, Zoology Department, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt

College of Life Science and Engineering, Foshan University, Foshan, Guangdong Province, China

**Abdulaziz Alouffi** King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
