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What is toxoplasmosis and how is it spread?
What are the symptoms of toxoplasmosis?
How can toxoplasmosis affect my unborn baby?
How can I protect my unborn baby from
toxoplasmosis?
Is there treatment for toxoplasmosis
infection during pregnancy?
For more information
What is toxoplasmosis
and how is it spread?
Toxoplasmosis (Tox-o-plaz-mo-sis) is an infection caused by the
parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Toxoplasmosis can be spread in several ways:
- Cats play an important role in the spread of toxoplasmosis.
They become infected by eating infected rodents, birds, or other
small animals. The parasite is then passed in the cat’s feces.
Cats and kittens prefer litter boxes, garden soils, and sand
boxes for elimination, and you may be exposed unintentionally by
touching your mouth after changing a litter box, or while
gardening without gloves.
- Eating fruits and vegetables if they are not washed or
peeled.
- Eating under-cooked meat and even by handling raw meat and
not washing your hands afterwards.
- Contaminating food with knives, utensils, cutting boards and
other foods that have had contact with raw meat.
- Drinking water that is contaminated.
- Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion,
though this is rare.
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What are the
symptoms of toxoplasmosis?
Most people who become infected have no symptoms. Some people who
have toxoplasmosis may feel as if they have the "flu" with swollen
lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that last for a month or
more.
Severe toxoplasmosis, causing damage to the brain, eyes, or other
organs, can develop from an acute infection or one that had occurred
earlier in life and is now reactivated. Severe cases are more likely
in individuals who have weak immune systems, though occasionally,
even persons with healthy immune systems may experience eye damage
from toxoplasmosis.
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How can toxoplasmosis
affect my unborn baby?
Most infants who are infected while still in the womb have no
symptoms at birth, but they may develop symptoms later in life, such
as blindness or mental retardation. A small percentage of infected
newborns have serious eye or brain damage at birth.
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How can I protect my
unborn baby from toxoplasmosis?
The best way to protect your unborn child is by protecting yourself
against toxoplasmosis.
- Have someone who is healthy and not pregnant change your
cat's litter box daily. If this is not possible, wear gloves and
clean the litter box every day, because the parasite found in
cat feces needs one or more days after being passed to become
infectious. Wash your hands well with soap and water afterwards.
- Wash your hands with soap and water after any exposure to
soil, sand, raw meat, or unwashed vegetables.
- Cook all meat thoroughly; that is, to an internal
temperature of 160° F and until it is no longer pink in the
center or until the juices become colorless. Do not taste meat
before it is fully cooked.
- Freeze meat for several days before cooking to greatly
reduce the chance of infection.
- Wash all cutting boards and knives thoroughly with hot soapy
water after each use.
- Wash and/or peel all fruits and vegetables before eating
them.
- Wear gloves when gardening or handling sand from a sandbox.
Wash hands well afterward.
- Avoid drinking untreated water, particularly when traveling
in less developed countries.
Is there a
treatment for toxoplasmosis during pregnancy?
Once a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is confirmed, you and your health
care provider can discuss treatment. For pregnant women or persons
who have weakened immune systems, medications are available to treat
toxoplasmosis.
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For more information
CDC Toxoplasmosis home page
Safe food handling to help reduce food borne illness visit the
Fight BAC! ® Web site.
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Date:August 3, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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