Which pathogen is included in TORCH infections?

Which pathogen is included in TORCH infections?

• A. Toxoplasma gondii
• B. Hepatitis B virus
• C. Streptococcus pneumoniae
• D. Escherichia coli

Answer: (A)

TORCH infections are a group of congenital infections that can cross the placenta and cause fetal and neonatal disease. Toxoplasma gondii is the prototypical organism in this group. It’s a protozoan acquired from exposure to cat feces or undercooked meat, and maternal infection can transmit to the fetus, leading to findings like chorioretinitis, hydrocephalus, and intracranial calcifications in the newborn. Among the given options, Toxoplasma gondii fits as a classic TORCH pathogen. The other organisms listed are not part of the TORCH set: the hepatitis B virus is a model of a transplacental pathogen but isn’t one of the TORCH organisms in this context, while Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli are bacterial pathogens associated with neonatal infections rather than TORCH infections.

TORCH infections are a group of congenital infections that can cross the placenta and cause fetal and neonatal disease. Toxoplasma gondii is the prototypical organism in this group. It’s a protozoan acquired from exposure to cat feces or undercooked meat, and maternal infection can transmit to the fetus, leading to findings like chorioretinitis, hydrocephalus, and intracranial calcifications in the newborn.

Among the given options, Toxoplasma gondii fits as a classic TORCH pathogen. The other organisms listed are not part of the TORCH set: the hepatitis B virus is a model of a transplacental pathogen but isn’t one of the TORCH organisms in this context, while Streptococcus pneumoniae and Escherichia coli are bacterial pathogens associated with neonatal infections rather than TORCH infections.