In recent years, an increasing number of reports have told the general that cats
Pic from barfblog.com/tags/toxoplasma
could bring toxoplasmosis, which would further result in problems in pregnancy, including abortion and malformation. Being aware of this is necessary and important, however people, especially pregnant women, are not necessary to panic and think of “should I re-home my cat, while I am pregnant?” Cats and pregnant women can live together safely, if people are able to answer the following questions.
What is toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular human parasite Image provided by Ke Hu and John Murray
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii and is often symptomless in people. However, in case of acute toxoplasmosis, people feel like they are having mild flu, such as feelings of swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, or pains. The feelings disappear after one week to one month, and people would not ever know that they had toxoplasmosis. But, serious problem may occur to people with weak immune system. For example, pregnant women, who get infection during the first three months of pregnancy, may suffer birth defects or miscarriage.
How is Toxoplasma gondii transmitted to pregnant women and babies?
Pregnant women have to ingest the cysts of Toxoplasma at its egg stage, in their first 3 months of pregnancy, so that their babies will be infected and get impact. One primary way is eating raw or undercooked meat, especially pork or lamb that contains Toxoplasma cysts. Another way is ingestion of contaminated cat feces, not by touching cats. Therefore, that some reports simply said that the pregnant women could get infection from cats is not complete. In order to shed contaminated feces, a cat has to be infected recently, because it does not shed Toxoplasma cysts within feces forever but for a maximum of 14 days and afterward it is unlikely that the cat will ever shed them again — even after repeated exposure to Toxoplasma. A cat would only get infection from a contaminated meat, which would not happen if the cat was feed with cooked meat and do not hunt outdoor. It is important that the feces takes 24 hours, in litter box, to become contagious. Lastly and most importantly, the pregnant woman must somehow ingest it. In fact, a 2001 study shows that digestion of contaminated raw meat is a more common approach that transmits the parasite, rather than get from cat.
How to avoid an infection of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy?
Here are some tips that can block the transmission of Toxoplasma :
- Do not eat undercooked meat.
- Wash hands thoroughly with soap after contact with cat feces, gardening and before eating.
- Clean knives, utensils, and cutting boards that contact to raw meat thoroughly and frequently.
- Clean out the litter box by a non-pregnant person every day.
- Single mothers wear gloves and use litter box liners
- Keep cats indoors.
- Do not feed undercooked meat to cat.
By Jody Emery
