Toxoplasmosis

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Toxoplasmosis

What is toxoplasmosis ?

Toxoplasmosis (toxo) is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The infection is most commonly acquired from contact with cats and their feces or with raw or undercooked meat.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 60 million people in the United States may carry the Toxoplasma parasite, but very few have symptoms because a healthy immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness.

What factors increase the risk of acquiring toxoplasmosis ?

The following situations potentially expose a person to the toxoplasma parasite and increase the risk of acquiring toxoplasmosis:

* touching your hands to your mouth after gardening, cleaning a cat's litter box, or anything that came into contact with cat feces

* eating raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork, lamb, or venison

* touching your hands to your mouth after contact with raw or undercooked meat

* organ transplantation or transfusion (this is rare)

If a woman is pregnant when she is infected with toxoplasmosis, the infection can be transmitted from her to the baby with sometimes catastrophic consequences.

What are the usual symptoms of toxoplasmosis ?

Although people infected with toxoplasmosis are often unaware of having this disease, typical symptoms of toxo are flulike symptoms including swollen lymph nodes and muscle aches and pains that last from a few days to several weeks. If your immune system is normal, you cannot get the infection again.

Why do some people develop severe problems from toxoplasmosis ?

Few people with toxo develop symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, anyone with a compromised immune system is at risk for serious problems from toxo. These individuals include those undergoing chemotherapy, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune disorders, and recent organ-transplant recipients.

In these people, an infection that occurred anytime during life can reactivate and cause the severe symptoms of toxoplasmosis such as damage to the eye, brain, or other organs.

Ocular toxoplasmosis, which damages the eyes, can lead to reduced vision, blurred vision, pain (often with bright light), redness of the eye, and sometimes tearing, according to the CDC.

Can toxoplasmosis develop into a more serious illness in babies ?

Yes, the immune system in infants is not fully mature until after birth.

The babies of women who were exposed to toxo within a few months of becoming pregnant or during pregnancy are at an increased risk for developing a severe case of toxo. According to the NIH (U.S. National Institutes of Health), pregnant women who newly contract the toxoplasmosis parasite have a 40% chance of transmitting it to their unborn child. Women who were first exposed to toxo more than six months before becoming pregnant are not likely to pass the infection to their children.

Most infants have no symptoms at birth, but a small percentage may be born with eye or brain damage. Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of the disease often appear a few months after birth.

What is meant by a baby developing "a more severe case of toxoplasmosis" ?

Children born with toxoplasmosis can be afflicted with mental retardation, convulsions, spasticity, cerebral palsy, deafness, and severely impaired vision. The infant's head may be abnormally small (microcephaly) or abnormally large due to increased pressure on the brain (hydrocephalus).

How is toxoplasmosis diagnosed in the lab ?

There are many different kinds of blood tests for toxoplasmosis. The results can determine if the patient has had toxo and whether the infection is recent ("acute") or not.

How can toxoplasmosis be prevented ?

Since toxo usually causes mild to no symptoms, and a healthy immune system prevents any remaining parasites in the body from causing further symptoms, most people don't need to worry about getting this disease.

However, if you have a weakened immune system or are pregnant, there are several steps you should take to prevent exposure to toxoplasmosis.

* If you have a weakened immune system, get a blood test for toxoplasmosis. If your test is positive, your doctor can tell you if and when you need to take medicine to prevent the infection from reactivating.
* If you are planning on becoming pregnant, you may consider being tested for toxo. If the test is positive, there is no need to worry about passing the infection to your baby (since you should have immunity against the parasite).
* If you are already pregnant, you should discuss your risk of toxoplasmosis with your doctor who may order a blood sample for testing.
* Wear gloves when you garden or do anything outdoors that involves handling soil since cats often use gardens and sandboxes as litter boxes. Wash your hands well with soap and warm water after outdoor activities, especially before you eat or prepare food.
* Have someone else handle raw meat for you. If this is not possible, wear clean latex gloves and thoroughly wash with soap and hot water any cutting boards, sinks, knives, and other utensils that might have touched the raw meat. Wash your hands well with soap and warm water afterward.
* Cook all meat thoroughly, especially pork or veal.

Am I able to keep my cat ?

Yes, but if you have a weakened immune system or are pregnant, there are some steps to take to avoid being exposed to toxo according to the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.

Most importantly, you can help prevent your cats from getting infected with toxoplasmosis. Feed them dry or canned cat food and keep them indoors. Cats can become infected by eating or being fed raw or undercooked meat that is infected with the parasite, or by eating infected prey such as birds or rodents. Any cat that is allowed access to outdoors should be kept off beds, pillows, or other furniture that you also use. Don't bring a new cat into your house that might have been an outdoor cat or might have been fed raw meat. Avoid handling stray cats and kittens. Have your cat tested for the parasite. Your vet can answer any other questions you may have regarding your cat and the risk for toxoplasmosis.

Have someone who is healthy and not pregnant change your cat's litter box. If this is not possible, wear gloves and clean the litter box daily (the parasite found in cat feces needs a few days after being passed to become infectious). Wash your hands well with soap and warm water afterward.

Once infected with toxo, is my cat always able to spread the infection to me?

No, cats can only spread toxo in their feces for a few weeks after they are first infected with the parasite. Like humans, cats rarely have symptoms when first infected, so most people don't know if their cat has been exposed to toxo. In fact, most infected cats appear healthy. There are no good tests available to determine if your cat is passing toxo in its feces.

What is the treatment for toxoplasmosis ?

Once the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is confirmed, you and your doctor should discuss whether treatment is necessary. In an otherwise healthy person who is not pregnant, treatment is not needed. Symptoms will usually go away within a few weeks. For pregnant women or people who have weakened immune systems, drugs are available to treat the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis At A Glance

* Toxoplasmosis (toxo) is a disease caused by a parasite.
* Toxo is acquired from contact with cats and their feces.
* Toxo is also acquired from eating or touching raw or partly cooked meat.
* Symptoms can range from none to very severe.
* A woman who contracts toxo right before or during pregnancy can transmit it to her baby with catastrophic consequences.
* People with immune deficiencies are at high risk for developing severe signs and symptoms of toxo.

Quick Link - Pregnancy Complications - Toxoplasmosis

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