Introduction

About the Toxoplasma Serology Laboratory

The Toxoplasma Serology Laboratory, a not-for-profit institution, has been dedicated solely to the laboratory diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection and toxoplasmosis for the past 40 years. Our diagnostic efforts are focused on the pregnant woman, fetus and newborn, as well as the patient who has an impaired immune system or eye disease. Instrumental to our mission is the development of tests to improve and expand diagnostic capabilities in the field of toxoplasmosis. The majority of tests we perform were developed in our laboratory, and are not performed by other laboratories in this country.

We serve as the reference laboratory for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and have worked with these agencies to disseminate information to the medical professions and public about toxoplasmosis and its diagnosis. Physicians in the Toxoplasma Serology Laboratory also offer interpretation of our test results and consultation on treatment and patient management to clinicians in the United States and worldwide. Our confirmatory battery of tests on sera of pregnant women with positive IgM antibodies reported by other laboratories has been shown to decrease unnecessary abortions by 50 percent.