Parasite Found In & Around Home A Risk For Pregnant Women

Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a single-celled parasite called toxoplasma gondii that are found in cat feces, in undercooked meat, and other areas.

According to the Center for Disease Control in the United States, many people who are infected may not even know it and the disease is of serious concern to pregnant women or those with a compromised immune system.

Infection rates in Canada are low and toxoplasmosis isn’t dangerous and often goes away on its own in most people, but the disease can cause blindness and brain damage in unborn babies.

Here’s a list of information about toxoplasmosis and how you can prevent it:

What Are The Symptoms?

In A Person With A Healthy Immune System:

  • Swollen glands
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Sore throat
  • Skin rash

In A Newborn

  • Eye pain, vision problems or blindness
  • Brain damage leading to mental retardation and occasionally, seizures

In A Person With A Weak Immune System:

A person with HIV/AIDS, lymphoma, or who’s taking organ transplant medicines can develop life-threatening toxoplasmosis, which requires aggressive treatment.

How Do You Get It?

Cats are carriers of the disease and can be become infected when they kill birds and other creatures.

The taxoplasma eggs can live in cat feces for up to two weeks and those eggs can survive in moist soil for up to 18 months.

You can put yourself at risk of contracting toxoplasmosis by changing your pet’s litter box if it is an outdoor cat.

Cats that stay inside and eat only canned food or kibble can’t get this parasite.

Ingesting The Eggs

You can become infected by ingesting anything that has come in contact with an infected cat’s feces, including cleaning out the litter box and failing to thoroughly wash your hands after, eating unwashed vegetables or eating with contaminated hands.

Fetal Infection

If you are infected while pregnant or up to eight weeks before conceiving, you can pass the parasite on to your child.

  • Once you’ve had toxoplasmosis you can’t get it again and if you’ve developed immunity before pregnancy you can’t pass the parasite on to your baby.

Prevention

  • Avoid cat feces, both at home and in the garden
  • If you’re pregnant, or trying to conceive, get someone else to change your pet’s litter
  • If you have to change the litter box, wear a mask and gloves and wash your hands immediately after
  • Make a habit of cleaning any table or surface your cat may walk across
  • Consider keeping your cat indoors
  • Wear gloves while gardening and wash your hands immediately afterwards
  • Wash all foods that may have come in contact with cat feces, including commercial fruits and veggies
  • Eat only well-cooked meat
  • Carefully wash your hands and utensils when handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, fruits or veggies
  • Avoid untreated water

Information courtesy of the British Columbia Ministry of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.

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