Toxoplasmosis
You must have heard the rumor about cats and toxoplasmosis. So I googled it and found interesting facts about it. But before everything, we need to know what is toxoplasmosis.
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Every warm-blooded living thing can catch this disease but the common host are cats. Toxoplasmosis is a food-borne illness. So you catch it from food you eat. Another way of transmitting the disease is from mother to fetus (congenital toxoplasmosis).
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Every warm-blooded living thing can catch this disease but the common host are cats. Toxoplasmosis is a food-borne illness. So you catch it from food you eat. Another way of transmitting the disease is from mother to fetus (congenital toxoplasmosis).
The cyst lives in the host's intestines, passes out through feces in 24 hours time after it is mature. This is what makes you sick. Cases that are reported says most people get infected from the soil.
How does it go from feces and soil to food you eat? Well, the soil where the vegetables you eat grew may be infected with Toxoplasma gondii if there's a mouse or other animal do number two near the area.
Now how does it infect human?
From eating improperly cooked food (this include meat, vegetables, milk). 60% toxoplasmosis occur this way. The other way is by having contact with the feces. Maybe you clean the cat litter box and accidentally touch your face. There's a big possibility you can get infected there.
Now how does it infect human?
From eating improperly cooked food (this include meat, vegetables, milk). 60% toxoplasmosis occur this way. The other way is by having contact with the feces. Maybe you clean the cat litter box and accidentally touch your face. There's a big possibility you can get infected there.
Good thing is everyone maybe have already got infected by toxoplasmosis. You can catch toxoplasmosis and didn't realize it. And it is almost like chicken pox. If you already have it, you wouldn't get infected the second time.
So if you are seropositive, you can not get toxoplasmosis again, and you can have a normal pregnancy, without having to give your cat away.
There are no symptoms when you get infected. Sometimes it's only flu-like symptoms. People with good immune system doesn't have to be treated for toxoplasmosis. It is only for people with low immune system like HIV/AIDS can get very sick (sometimes fatal) from it. It can cause encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), neurologic diseases, can affect the heart, liver, inner ears, eyes. Recent research has also linked toxoplasmosis with brain cancer.
On pregnant women, it can cause stillborn, hydrocephalus.
So how do you prevent toxoplasmosis, especially when you're pregnant?
- Eat ONLY cooked food. That way it cuts 60% of the chance.
- Get tested. If your serostatus comes out positive, you can have a safe pregnancy.
- Take precaution when handling raw food, especially meat. And also when you're out gardening. Wash your hands thoroughly, don't touch your face with dirty hands.
- Use rubber gloves to clean your cat's litter box. Cats excrete the parasite two weeks after they acquire it.
- If you're pregnant and have cats, you may consider to keep your cats inside the house to prevent them from having contact with rodents and or with other smaller animals that are infected with toxoplasmosis.
So, spread the words: seropositive pregnant women doesn't have to give their cats away!
Yippie, I get to keep KC even though I'm pregnant :)
Sent from my iPad
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