Feline treatments for toxoplasmosis usually involve an antibiotic called clindamycin that you can give your cat by mouth. A veterinarian may also prescribe steroid creams or oral steroids for your cat's eyes or other affected areas. These medications should help symptoms fade within a few days.
A smaller number of cats might develop diarrhea, or respiratory problems, or even problems with their eyes. The majority of cats, though, will be permanently infected with the parasite and show no outward signs of illness. A tiny percentage of cats infected with toxoplasmosis will die from an overwhelming infection.
Toxoplasmosis is difficult to diagnose in cats because the signs can be so variable. Blood tests are available that will determine whether a cat has been exposed to the organism. These tests do not necessarily mean that Toxoplasma is the cause of any disease since most exposed cats do not develop disease.
Cook meat well. This is the only way to be certain you've eliminated toxoplasmosis. Use a food thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat. Most meat should be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, or 180 degrees F in the thigh for whole poultry.
“There is no cat litter that can inactivate Toxoplasma,” says Patricia Conrad, DVM, a parasitology professor and co-director of University of California Global Health Institute's One Health Center.
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.
In addition, cats kept indoors (that do not hunt prey or are not fed raw meat) are not likely to be infected with Toxoplasma. But, if you are pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, or have a weakened immune system, it is important to protect yourself from infection.
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.
Avoid drinking untreated water. Wear gloves when gardening and during any contact with soil or sand because it might be contaminated with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma. Wash hands with soap and water after gardening or contact with soil or sand. Teach children the importance of washing hands to prevent infection.
Toxoplasmosis is an infection you can get from eating undercooked meat or touching cat poop or a litter box.
All mammals including humans are considered intermediate hosts and can become infected, but cannot shed the eggs of the parasite and infect others. It is considered that greater than 40% of humans and 30% of cats have been exposed to Toxoplasmosis and would have a positive antibody test.
Infection is more common in pets that go outside, hunt, or are fed raw meat. 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.
A. The only people who face a risk from Toxoplasma gondii are pregnant women who have not previously been infected, babies under 6 months old and any household member whose immune system has been weakened by cancer treatment, transplant therapy or an infection like H.I.V.
Ammonia, which is a toxic gas, can cause serious breathing issues and other problems. The ammonia can cause irritation of the bronchial membranes in your lungs, and lead to lots of coughing, as well as severe injury to the tissues in your trachea and lungs.
The cat as Toxoplasma's definitive host is the only animal in which oocysts are formed. After a cat is infected, it can pass these eggs in the feces for weeks. Humans and other animals get toxoplasmosis from eating these eggs. These eggs are small and light enough to become airborne with litter dust.
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.
Acute toxoplasmosis is often asymptomatic in healthy adults. However, symptoms may manifest and are often influenza-like: swollen lymph nodes, headaches, fever, and fatigue, or muscle aches and pains that last for a month or more.
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."
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.
Heat treatment like boiling water can inactivate T. gondii oocysts. Beef, lamb and veal roasts and steaks should be cooked to at least 63°C. Pork, ground meat and wild game should be cooked to 71°C before eating.
The Toxoplasma parasite can persist for long periods of time in the bodies of humans (and other animals), possibly even for a lifetime. Of those who are infected however, very few have symptoms because a healthy person's immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness.
The long-term or chronic effects of the infection result when the cysts spread to the brain and muscle cells. The cysts, which can stay in the body as long as the person lives, can rupture and cause severe illness including damage to the brain, eyes and other organs.
Cats usually get toxoplasmosis from eating wild animals or undercooked meat infected with the parasite. Toxoplasma gondii also lives inside infected cats' feces, where it can infect other cats or animals that swallow it.