| Toxoplasmosis is
an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii
The parasite is common in warm-blooded
animals including cats, rats, mice, pigs, cows, sheep,
chickens, and birds. People
usually get toxoplasmosis from contact with cat feces
(stool) or from eating undercooked meat
The parasites are shed in the feces of
infected cats and become infectious after 1 to 5 days.
People become infected when they get the parasite in their
mouths. This can happen when cleaning cat litter, or through
contaminated food, water, or dust. Children can get toxoplasmosis
by playing in sandboxes that contain cat feces. People
can also get toxoplasmosis from eating infected meat that
is undercooked (usually lamb or pork). People don't spread
the infection to other people except when a mother gets
toxoplasmosis during pregnancy and passes it to her unborn
baby. Toxoplasmosis is
a very severe infection for unborn babies and for people
with weakened immune systems Unborn
babies get this parasite from their mothers. This can
happen if the mother is infected during pregnancy, especially
during the first three months. Unborn babies are at risk
of severe infection that may result in mental retardation,
blindness in one or both eyes, or death.
In healthy children and adults, toxoplasmosis
may cause no symptoms at all, or a mild illness (swollen
lymph glands, fever, headache, and muscle aches) 5 to
23 days after exposure. People who have had toxoplasmosis
in the past and then develop problems with their immune
systems (such as AIDS) can have severe infections of the
brain that can lead to death.
Infections can be treated with antibiotics
Talk to your doctor if you think you have
been exposed to the toxoplasma parasite. Infections
can be prevented
- Throw cat litter out every day. Feed
cats commercial cat food. Don't let cats eat wild rodents
or birds or raw or undercooked kitchen scraps.
- Cook lamb, beef, and pork until well
done.
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly
before eating.
- Eliminate cross-contamination from
raw foods to cooked ones by thorough washing of hands,
cutting boards, knives, and other utensils.
- Wash hands thoroughly after working
with soil, after cleaning litter boxes, before and after
handling foods, and before eating.
- Wear gloves when handling potentially
contaminated material, such as soil and cat litter.
- Cover sandboxes when not in use.
- Persons with weakened immune systems
and pregnant women should be particularly careful to
avoid contact with cat feces and soil, and to avoid
ingestion of undercooked meats.
A
pregnant woman should tell her doctor if she has contact
with cats
A blood test is available to tell whether
a person has had toxoplasmosis. A pregnant woman who has
exposure to cats and who develops symptoms should see
her doctor.
Center for Veterinary Public Health
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