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Toxoplasmosis: what are the risks during pregnancy?
What are the symptoms ?
Toxoplasmosis may at first seem like a little flu: headache, swollen neck glands, mild fever or muscle pain. But the disease remains difficult to detect because the symptoms are irregular. In 80% of cases, the person does not know that they have contracted toxoplasma, the parasite that causes the disease.
Are there any precautions to protect yourself?
A few simple rules can help you protect yourself from toxoplasmosis:
- Wear gloves before handling raw meat, raw vegetables or while gardening. If not, wash your hands thoroughly before and after
- Eat only well-cooked meat. Avoid tartars and carpaccios. The parasite disappears when the meat is heated to 65 ° C.
- Wash all your fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Avoid eating raw vegetables in restaurants for example, which you could not control the proper washing.
- Avoid contact with cats. If you have one, have another person clean the litter box every day with boiling water or disinfectant. The parasite takes refuge mainly in the feces.
- Avoid the consumption of raw eggs and raw milk.
I have toxoplasmosis, what are the risks?
Although toxoplasmosis is a mild disease when it is contracted outside of pregnancy, it can be dangerous for the fetus if you are pregnant. In the worst cases, infection can lead to abortion or premature birth. If you are detected early enough, you will be treated immediately with antibiotics and monitored regularly throughout your pregnancy. Your baby will also be taken care of from birth to check that there are no consequences.
Is there a preventive vaccine?
Unfortunately no vaccine can prevent this disease. The only way, once you are a carrier of the parasite: taking antibiotics and regular monitoring. However, you will need to perform a serodiagnosis at the start of pregnancy to see if you are immune before a possible pregnancy. This blood test looks for traces of the parasite in your body. If it is positive, it means you are immune and not likely to get it again. If you test negative, you are not immune. A control blood test is then necessary every month in order to detect a possible contagion, to check that it has not reached the fetus and to treat it as effectively as possible.
Can I breastfeed my child after having contracted the disease?
Rest assured, if you contracted toxoplasmosis during your pregnancy, exams were done regularly. A simple blood test will be performed on your child at birth. If you get toxoplasmosis after giving birth, it doesn’t matter. Its misdeeds are dangerous only for the fetus. After birth, toxoplasmosis becomes a mild disease for everyone except AIDS or other conditions with immunosuppression.