Taxoplasma gondii is a unicellular protozoan parasite. The microbe was discovered in a North African rodent, Ctenodactylus gondii, in 1908 by Charles Nicolle, Louis Manceaux and Alfonso Splendor. The organism was named Toxoplasma after its crescent shape (the Greek word "toxon", meaning an arch or arch and the Greek word "plasma", meaning shape) and gondii after its rodent host. This parasite can be found worldwide in arctic, desert, and tropical climates. It has been noted that approximately one third of the human population is infected with Taxoplasma gondii, as it is a very resistant and adaptive microbe. The organism does not have any appendages to facilitate motility (such as flagella, cilia or pili), it uses it along with secretory organelles to facilitate gliding type movement. The apical, more pointed end of the cell houses these secretory organelles. The conoid end is responsible for entry into the host cell membrane.T. gondii is an exclusively parasitic organism that can only grow inside another cell and therefore relies on warm-blooded hosts. Felines, the microbe's preferred hosts, are classified as definitive hosts. The parasite can only reproduce sexually in a cat's intestine. However, T. gondii can infect, be transmitted, and reproduce asexually in virtually any warm-blooded animal or human. These warm-blooded secondary hosts are considered intermediate hosts. Additionally, T. gondii has been found in invertebrates such as filter mussels and oysters. Taxoplasma gondii has a complex life cycle. The life cycle begins with a domestic or feral cat that has been infected by infected prey such as a rodent. T. gondii produces extremely hard and resistant oocytes in the intestinal lining of the ca...... middle of paper ...... at least a day to sporulate and become infectious after shedding, so the litter must be discarded of the cat considerably reduces the risk of the presence of infectious oocysts in the litter. Wash your hands after changing the cat's litter box.2. Wear gloves when gardening or in contact with soil or sand, as infectious oocysts from cat feces can spread and survive in the environment for months or even years.3. Avoid drinking untreated water.4. Cover outdoor sandboxes when not in use. Medical precautions for pregnant or immunocompromised people:1. Do not change or tamper with cat litter boxes. If absolutely necessary, wear gloves and wash your hands immediately afterward with warm, soapy water.2. Keep cats indoors and feed them only commercially canned or dry foods, or well-cooked table foods.3. Do not adopt or handle stray cats, especially kittens.4. Don't buy a new cat while pregnant.5.