The answer is yes, your cat can give you Toxoplasma, but please read below to get all the information. I have had several pregnant clients recently and wanted to pass along this information from one of my veterinary journals, Veterinary Team Brief. I find that human doctors just tell you not to change the litter boxes if your pregnant but don't explain why. And I'm sure there are pregnant ladies out there who don't have anyone who can or will change the litter boxes. So here is some good solid info on Toxoplasma. BUT, no matter what you read here you need to follow the advice of your medical doctor. They after all know you and your pregnancy, not me writing on my blog!
Toxoplasmosis
A common misconception is that pregnant women must give up their cats because of the risk of Toxoplasma gondii infection. First-time infection of women in early pregnancy can have significant effects on the fetus, potentially leading to abortion, neonatal death, or congenital effects. Similarly, infection in immunocompromised individuals (particularly AIDS patients) can cause encephalitis and other very serious complications. Children may ingest infectious oocysts from soil during play, but infection is not known to cause significant issues as long as they are immunocompetent. Although cats are the definitive hosts of this parasite, keep these points in mind:
- Almost all cats are infected with T gondii at some point, but very few are shedding Toxoplasma oocysts at any one time. Most cats shed significant numbers of oocysts only for a couple of weeks after initial infection, typically at an early age. The likelihood of a healthy mature cat shedding T gondiioocysts is generally low.1
- The oocysts shed in cat feces generally become infective at least 24 hours after they are passed. Cleaning the litter box daily will greatly reduce the client’s risk of infection.
- Depending on a woman’s location and lifestyle, she may also be exposed toT gondii from eating certain undercooked meats, or from contact with contaminated soil (see Common Toxoplasma gondii Exposure Routes). The parasite must be swallowed to cause infection—contact alone is not enough, but contamination and poor hygiene of the hands can lead to oral transmission.
The bottom line: Pregnant women can keep their cats, but should take precautions to reduce the risk of T gondii exposure, including avoiding adopting a cat younger than 1 year, having someone else clean the litter box (ideally daily), cooking meat properly (visit foodsafety.gov/index.html for information about proper temperatures), and washing hands thoroughly after working in soil or handling cat litter.
| Common Toxoplasma gondii Exposure Routes2,3 | ||
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