Toxoplasmosis

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Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that in healthy adults causes a mild flu like illness, if it presents any symptoms at all.

[edit] How it is transmitted

The parasite lives in the gut of cats and other animals. Housecats usually show no symptoms when they are infected with it. Transmission to humans is through accidental swallowing or inhalation of infected feces, from eating undercooked meat or other contaminated food, or from contaminated drinking water.

[edit] Risks during pregnancy

Children born to mothers who contract toxoplasmosis shortly before or during pregnancy may not experience any problems or they may have developmental problems later in childhood. A small percentage of severe infections in unborn babies results in eye damage, mental retardation or miscarriage. The greatest risk to your baby is in the first and second trimesters.

[edit] To reduce your risk

Things you can do to reduce your risk of contracting toxoplasmosis while pregnant:

Wear gloves when gardening or working with soil, and wash your hands with warm soapy water afterwards. The parasite can live in the soil for more than a year.

Take care when handling raw meat. Do not touch your eyes, mouth or nose while preparing it, and wash everything that came into contact with the meat with warm soapy water when finished.

Do not eat undercooked meat. Heat all meat up to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Have someone else clean the cat box for you. This needs to be done everyday, before the parasite eggs hatch and become infectious. If you have to do it, wear gloves and a mask and wash your hands afterwards.