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Toxoplasma carried by cats can cause a miscarriage in a pregnant woman or serious malformations of her baby. So is pregnancy a reason to get rid of your pet?
It is estimated that in Poland 50-70 percent are infected with the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. people. – A healthy organism deals with it well. The disease is usually asymptomatic. Once attempted, it gives immunity for life, explains family doctor Robert Sapa. The problem becomes when the parasite is infected by a pregnant woman who has not contracted toxoplasmosis before.
The toxoplasmosis parasite
The disease-causing parasite multiplies in the small intestine of the cat. The primary forms of the parasite resulting from reproduction are excreted in the faeces. An infected cat produces between 2 and 20 million of them a day for about three weeks. Later only sporadically. Within 5 days after leaving the cat’s body, the protozoan turns into a form that is contagious to humans. In this form, it can wait up to a year and a half for the host. A person can become infected by eating vegetables or fruit contaminated with cat feces, as well as by cleaning up cat faeces. The intruder penetrates through the mucous membranes and cuts. You can also contract the parasite by eating raw, undercooked or smoked meat from an animal that has previously been infected with this microorganism.
Risk of fetal infection
The risk of penetration of the protozoan through the placenta into the fetus increases with the development of pregnancy and is greatest towards the end of pregnancy, while the risk of fetal disease decreases with time. The disease is most dangerous for the fetus in the first months of pregnancy. Then it can even lead to a miscarriage. Later, it can cause serious developmental defects, diseases of internal organs, vision and hearing. However, it is important to know that infection of a pregnant woman is not synonymous with the transmission of the disease to the fetus.
Diagnostics of toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis can be diagnosed by a blood test, as the body produces antibodies when it comes into contact with the parasite. It is best to do such a test before a planned pregnancy. If it fails, right at the beginning. When reading the results, the doctor checks whether the woman has had any experience with toxoplasmosis or has recently become infected. If the patient has not been ill before, the tests are repeated every three months.
Treatment in pregnancy
If a woman becomes infected with a disease while pregnant, it must be treated. – The drug to combat toxoplasmosis is an antibiotic administered orally from the diagnosis of the disease until delivery – explains Jacek Tulimowski, a gynecologist.
Some babies who contract the disease in utero have no symptoms right after birth. They may show up later. Therefore, after giving birth to a child whose mother became infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, the level of antibodies must be tested for one year.
Profilaktyka toksoplasmosis
Even though the disease is serious, you don’t have to get rid of your cat. It is enough to follow the rules of increased hygiene. It is absolutely necessary to avoid contact with cat faeces and to clean the litter box with disposable gloves. It is best to do this every day, then the expelled primary forms of the parasite will not have time to transform into a contagious form. It is better to feed cats only with dry food. They should not be allowed outside. In addition, to avoid toxoplasmosis, you need to eat only well-cooked meat, thoroughly washed fruits and vegetables. When working in the garden, it is worth using rubber gloves.
Text: Halina Pilonis