Subcutaneous and intestinal vaccination with tachyzoites of Toxoplasma gondii and acquisition of immunity to peroral and congenital toxoplasma challenge.

Mice were immunized s.c. or intraintestinally with two injections of a temperature-sensitive mutant of Toxoplasma gondii (ts4). Nonpersistence of the vaccine strain was documented by subinoculation of tissues of a subgroup of mice 3 mo or more after the second immunization. Mice were immune to other-wise lethal parenteral challenges with tachyzoites of the M7741 strain or to peroral challenge with bradyzoites of the Me49 strain of T. gondii. Although two s.c. or intraintestinal immunizations did not completely protect against development of T. gondii in the brains of mice, fewer cysts developed in the s.c. immunized mice than in control mice (2 +/- 3 cysts/0.01 ml in immunized mice compared with 75 +/- 48 cysts/0.01 ml in controls (p less than 0.002)). Reduction in cyst number after intraintestinal immunization was more variable, but also statistically significant (p less than 0.02). Female mice were first immunized, then mated, and then challenged perorally. Neonates of the s.c. immunized mice were not protected. Neonates of intraintestinally immunized mice were protected in part (36% of 115) against congenital infection compared with controls (7% of 107).