Which parasite is transmitted through the ingestion of undercooked meat?

The correct answer is Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is commonly transmitted through the ingestion of undercooked or raw meat, particularly pork, lamb, or venison that contains tissue cysts of T. gondii. When humans consume such meat, they can acquire the parasite, leading to toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii has a complex life cycle involving cats as the definitive hosts, where the sexual reproductive cycle occurs. Humans can become intermediate hosts and are often infected by consuming undercooked meat or inadvertently through contact with cat feces where the oocysts are shed. This makes proper cooking of meat essential to prevent transmission.

In contrast to Toxoplasma gondii, other parasites listed, such as hookworm, schistosoma mansoni, and Diphyllobothrium latum, have different transmission routes. Hookworms are typically acquired through skin penetration by larvae found in contaminated soil. Schistosoma mansoni is transmitted through freshwater where larval forms penetrate human skin. Diphyllobothrium latum, while also associated with fish and undercooked seafood, is more specifically a fish tapeworm and is not the primary focus for undercooked meat, which is more directly related to T