Many pet cats will never be exposed to Toxoplasma and cannot pass the infection on to humans. Even if a cat does become infected with Toxoplasma, it will only shed the oocysts or eggs in its feces for approximately ten days after initial exposure.
Owning a cat does not mean you will be infected with the parasite. It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat because cats usually do not carry the parasite on their fur.
Cats get Toxoplasma infection by eating infected rodents, birds or other small animals, or anything contaminated with feces from another cat that is shedding the microscopic parasite in its feces. After a cat has been infected, it can shed the parasite for up to two weeks.
It's unlikely that your cat will give you toxoplasmosis. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "people are more likely to get [toxoplasmosis] from eating raw meat or from gardening."
The prevalence of oocyst shedding in cats is very low (0-1%), even though at least 15-40% of cats have been infected with Toxoplasma at some point. This means very few cats at any one time are actually able to pass their infection on to people.
Peak shedding occurred, on average, 6.9 days after inoculation. All cats shed similar amounts of oocysts after primary inoculation regardless of T gondii strain and genotype, while only 1 of 10 cats shed oocysts after the 12-month re-infection and 5 of 7 cats shed oocysts after the 36-month re-infection.
The Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat's feces. If you are pregnant or immunocompromised: Avoid changing cat litter if possible. If no one else can perform the task, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands with soap and water afterwards.
Many pet cats will never be exposed to Toxoplasma and cannot pass the infection on to humans. Even if a cat does become infected with Toxoplasma, it will only shed the oocysts or eggs in its feces for approximately ten days after initial exposure.
The most common symptoms of toxoplasmosis include fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Other symptoms may occur depending upon whether the infection is acute or chronic, and the location of the parasite in the body.
Cats can carry the parasite, especially if they hunt animals or eat raw meat. You can expose yourself to the parasite through your cat's feces, either in its litter or in dirt that has cat droppings in it. You also can get it from touching anything that has been in contact with cat droppings.
It is extremely unlikely that you would pick up toxoplasmosis by petting your cat or being scratched or bitten by your cat, because the organism is not spread by the fur or saliva. You CAN, however, pick up toxoplasmosis by eating undercooked infected meat, particularly lamb and pork.
Toxoplasmosis is not passed from person-to-person, except in instances of mother-to-child (congenital) transmission and blood transfusion or organ transplantation.
You can safely clean a litter box while pregnant by wearing a mask and other protective gear such as gloves. It's important to protect yourself against all kinds of harmful bacteria when you're pregnant.
“It is quite possibly the most successful parasite on the planet,” Dr. Grigg said, but if you have a working immune system, “you really have almost nothing to worry about.” A previously infected woman who gets pregnant will not have a problem, because her immune system will keep the infection in check, said Dr.
In 2015, 273 confirmed cases of congenital toxoplasmosis were reported by 21 EU/EEA countries (Table 1, Figure 1). France accounted for 90.1% of all cases, followed by Poland (5.5%) and the United Kingdom (2.6%).
High pressure processing at 300 MPa or higher inactivates tissue cysts 2. Heating tissue cysts to 67°C will kill them instantly 2.
The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is typically made by serologic testing. A test that measures immunoglobulin G (IgG) is used to determine if a person has been infected.
As the cat feces dry, the oocysts may become aerosolized. They can thus be inhaled by a person changing cat litter or just walking in an area where cats have defecated. An outbreak of toxoplasmosis among patrons of a riding stable was thought to have occurred in this manner.
Toxoplasmosis usually lies dormant, but occasionally it reactivates to cause disease. Usually this happens when some other disease weakens the immune system.
We collected blood samples from 72 stray and 80 household cats, and all samples were examined by ELISA and nested PCR. The overall positive rates of Toxoplasma gondii in stray cats were 38.9% (28/72), with 15.3% (11/72) in ELISA and 30.6% (22/72) in PCR.
In Australia, primary infection with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is rare Gilbert 2002 although it is estimated that between 60% and 80% of Australians are non-immune (Pappas et al 2009).
Toxoplasmosis is an infection you can get from eating undercooked meat or touching cat poop or a litter box. It's caused by a very common parasite called Toxoplasma gondii.
Most people who become infected with Toxoplasma have no symptoms. If people develop symptoms, they usually begin 1 to 3 weeks after being exposed to the parasite. Symptoms usually last for 2 to 4 weeks.
Once you have become immune, you be immune for the rest of your life. This means that if you had the infection before you got pregnant, your baby will be protected. But if you get toxoplasma for the first time while you're pregnant, or just before you get pregnant, you won't have time to become fully immune.