> Health
& Nutrition
Cats,
Pregnancy and Toxoplasmosis
Virginia
Beach SPCA
http://www.vbspca.com
The Virginia
Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA)
accepts many cats from sad families who are expecting a child and
fear transmission of toxoplasmosis. Research indicates that this
fear is largely ungrounded. This fact sheet was created in order
to help keeps pets and their families together, and to keep all
family members, including pets, healthy and safe.
What is
toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis
is an infection caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma
gondi, and found in all species of animals. Over 40 percent of all
Americans have been infected with the parasite at some time. Once
the antibodies have entered your system, you cannot get the active
infection a second time unless you are immune depressed. Pregnant
women should take caution to avoid Toxoplasmosis, which can cause
birth defects and possible fetal abortion/death.
How is
toxoplasmosis transmitted?
Rarely
from an infected cat. Most commonly through ingestion of
undercooked meats, unwashed fruits and vegetables, congenitally
(in utero), or by not washing your hands after gardening or
handling soil.
Why are
cats blamed for toxoplasmosis?
Cats are
the only animal species to shed the infectious stage of the
disease in their feces.
Why then
is it rare to acquire the infection from a cat?
A study
in the New England Journal of Medicine showed no correlation
between cat ownership and infection with toxoplasmosis. The
Journal of the American Medical Association reported that even in
immune compromised individuals, such as AIDS patients, toxoplasma
antibody seroconversion is unusual and appears unrelated to cat
ownership.
This is because most cats are never ill with the disease, and the
period during which infected cats are infectious to humans
(through eggs shed in feces) is very brief, usually in the first
2-3 weeks of infection. Like humans, cats are extremely unlikely
to get the active infection more than once. Moreover, 24-48 hours
must elapse after feces is passed before it becomes infectious.
This means if litter boxes are cleaned at least daily,
transmission of the infection by litter scooping is entirely
preventable.
How can I
protect myself and my baby from toxoplasmosis?
-
Cook meat
thoroughly to over 151 F degrees. Wash hands and anything else
that comes in contact with raw meat such as cutting boards,
knives, etc.
-
Wash hands
thoroughly before eating.
-
Wear gloves
when working in the garden or with soil, and wash hands
thoroughly afterwards. Toxoplasmosis remains in the soil or in
cat feces (once active) for up to 18 months.
-
Cover
children's sandboxes when not in use and dispose of any
contaminated sand.
-
Keep cats
indoors. Cats usually acquire the disease by eating live
animals such as mice, or through contact with other infected
cats, cat feces, or infected soil.
-
Feed cats only
packaged cat food or well-cooked meat, never raw meat or left-overs.
-
Make sure
litter boxes are changed daily before eggs have had time to
become infective, dispose of cat feces carefully and
periodically sanitize litter boxes with boiling water.
-
Have someone
other than a pregnant or immunocompromised person clean the
litter box, if possible. If not, wear disposable rubber gloves
when cleaning the litter box and wash hands thoroughly
afterwards.
back
to top
|
