Chapter 7 – Toxoplasma Animal Models and Therapeutics

Understanding pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis and development of new treatments for T. gondii infection require established animal models. While nearly all mammals can be infected with T. gondii there is great variability in the susceptibility to T. gondii infection amongst species and even amongst strains of animals. Murine models are the most commonly used, but other animal models are also important for development of new therapeutics. This chapter discusses the various models used to study toxoplasmosis, particularly those most useful for pharmacological studies.