How to Understand Toxoplasmosis

Many people think that the stories that surround cats and pregnant women are old wives' tales. This is not necessarily so. If you have heard that pregnant women can become ill by being around and handling a cat litter box, it is true. It is possible for a pregnant woman to contract toxoplasmosis from handling a cat’s litter.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. If you are a pregnant woman and you do not have a cat, it is advised that you put off getting a cat until after you have had your baby. It is the best way to ensure that you do not put yourself at risk for contracting toxoplasmosis. If you already have a cat and you are pregnant, don’t panic. The key to protecting yourself from the disease is to understand what toxoplasmosis is and how to protect yourself from it.

2. Toxoplasmosis can be contracted from handling or eating raw meat. The contamination is killed when the meat is cooked, but if you have it on your hands and handle foods that you will be eating raw, such as vegetables, you can get toxoplasmosis. So, what does this have to do with cats? If your cat has killed or eaten a rodent who has the disease and your cat gets infected, he can pass off microscopic eggs in his stools.

3. If your cat has been infected by the disease and he passes the eggs in his stool, they would have to be ingested by you for you to get toxoplasmosis. No one in their right mind is going to ingest cat feces, right? Well, these nasty microscopic eggs may be ingested simply by handling the litter box. For instance, if you clean out the litter box your hands may come in contact with areas on the litter pan that has been touched by the cat’s feces. If you do not clean your hands properly before you eat, you can be contaminating your food with this disease. It is also possible for pregnant women to contract toxoplasmosis by grooming their cats and not properly washing their hands afterwards.

4. If you are pregnant and a cat lover, one way you can ease your fears of contracting toxoplasmosis is to have your cat’s stool checked at a vet. Simply drop off a stool sample and have it looked at under a microscope. In the meantime, make sure you scrub your hands after you have cleaned the litter box or groomed and handled your cat. If at all possible, delegate the kitty litter duty to someone else. Also, make sure your cat is not allowed outdoors. This will decrease the chance of him killing any prey which may have the disease.

[momandpopoften]

on 6/22/2008 Glad we don't have a cat! Thanks for the helpful information!