Toxoplasmosis

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http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/factsht_toxoplasmosis.htm

 

 

Toxoplasmosis

(TOX-o-plaz-MO-sis)

 

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* What is toxoplasmosis?

* How do people get toxoplasmosis?

* What are the symptoms of toxoplasmosis?

* Who is at risk for developing severe toxoplasmosis?

* What should I do if I am at risk for severe toxoplasmosis?

* What should I do if I think I may have toxoplasmosis?

* What is the treatment for toxoplasmosis?

* How can I prevent toxoplasmosis?

* Am I able to keep my cat?

* Once infected with Toxoplasma is my cat always able to spread

the infection to me?

 

 

What is toxoplasmosis?

 

A single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii causes a disease

known as toxoplasmosis. While the parasite is found throughout the

world, more than 60 million people in the United States may be

infected with the Toxoplasma parasite. Of those who are infected, very

few have symptoms because a healthy person's immune system usually

keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, pregnant women and

individuals who have compromised immune systems should be cautious;

for them, a Toxoplasma infection could cause serious health problems.

 

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How do people get toxoplasmosis?

 

A Toxoplasma infection occurs by:

 

* Accidentally swallowing cat feces from a Toxoplasma-infected cat

that is shedding the organism in its feces. This might happen if you

were to accidentally touch your hands to your mouth after gardening,

cleaning a cat's litter box, or touching anything that has come into

contact with cat feces. Eating contaminated raw or partly cooked meat,

especially pork, lamb, or venison; by touching your hands to your

mouth after handling undercooked meat.

* Contaminating food with knives, utensils, cutting boards and

other foods that have had contact with raw meat.

* Drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma.

* Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion,

though this is rare.

 

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What are the symptoms of toxoplasmosis?

 

Symptoms of the infection vary.

 

* Most people who become infected with Toxoplasma are not aware of it.

* Some people who have toxoplasmosis may feel as if they have the

" flu " with swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that last

for a month or more.

* Severe toxoplasmosis, causing damage to the brain, eyes, or

other organs, can develop from an acute Toxoplasma infection or one

that had occurred earlier in life and is now reactivated. Severe cases

are more likely in individuals who have weak immune systems, though

occasionally, even persons with healthy immune systems may experience

eye damage from toxoplasmosis.

* Most infants who are infected while still in the womb have no

symptoms at birth, but they may develop symptoms later in life. A

small percentage of infected newborns have serious eye or brain damage

at birth.

 

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Who is at risk for developing severe toxoplasmosis?

 

People who are most likely to develop severe toxoplasmosis include:

 

* Infants born to mothers who became infected with Toxoplasma for

the first time during or just before pregnancy.

* Persons with severely weakened immune systems, such as

individuals with HIV/AIDS, those taking certain types of chemotherapy,

and those who have recently received an organ transplant.

 

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What should I do if I think I am at risk for severe toxoplasmosis?

 

If you are planning to become pregnant, your health care provider may

test you for Toxoplasma. If the test is positive it means you have

already been infected sometime in your life. There usually is little

need to worry about passing the infection to your baby. If the test is

negative, take necessary precautions to avoid infection (See below).

 

If you are already pregnant, you and your health care provider should

discuss your risk for toxoplasmosis. Your health care provider may

order a blood sample for testing.

 

If you have a weakened immune system, ask your doctor about having

your blood tested for Toxoplasma. 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 your test is negative, it means

you have never been infected and you need to take precautions to avoid

infection. (See below).

 

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What should I do if I think I may have toxoplasmosis?

 

If you suspect that you may have toxoplasmosis, talk to your health

care provider. Your provider may order one or more varieties of blood

tests specific for toxoplasmosis. The results from the different tests

can help your provider determine if you have a Toxoplasma infection

and whether it is a recent (acute) infection.

 

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What is the treatment for toxoplasmosis?

 

Once a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is confirmed, you and your health

care provider can discuss whether treatment is necessary. In an

otherwise healthy person who is not pregnant, treatment usually is not

needed. If symptoms occur, they typically go away within a few weeks

to months. For pregnant women or persons who have weakened immune

systems, medications are available to treat toxoplasmosis.

 

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How can I prevent toxoplasmosis?

 

There are several general sanitation and food safety steps you can

take to reduce your chances of becoming infected with Toxoplasma.

 

* Wear gloves when you garden or do anything outdoors that

involves handling soil. Cats, which may pass the parasite in their

feces, often use gardens and sandboxes as litter boxes. Wash your

hands well with soap and water after outdoor activities, especially

before you eat or prepare any food.

* When preparing raw meat, wash any cutting boards, sinks, knives,

and other utensils that might have touched the raw meat thoroughly

with soap and hot water to avoid cross-contaminating other foods. Wash

your hands well with soap and water after handling raw meat.

* Cook all meat thoroughly; that is, to an internal temperature of

160° F and until it is no longer pink in the center or until the

juices become colorless. Do not taste meat before it is fully cooked.

 

For further information on safe food handling to help reduce food

borne illness visit the Fight BAC! ® Web site at

http://www.fightbac.org/main.cfm.

 

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If I am at risk, would I be able to keep my cat?

 

Yes, you may keep your cat if you are a person at risk for a severe

infection (e.g., you have a weakened immune system or are pregnant);

however, there are several safety precautions to avoid being exposed

to Toxoplasma:

 

* Keep your cat healthy and help prevent it from becoming infected

with Toxoplasma. Keep your cat indoors and feed it dry or canned cat

food rather than allowing it to have access to wild birds and rodents

or to food scraps. A cat can become infected by eating infected prey

or by eating raw or undercooked meat infected with the parasite. Do

not bring a new cat into your house that might have spent time out of

doors or might have been fed raw meat. Avoid stray cats and kittens

and the area they have adopted as their " home. " Your veterinarian can

answer any other questions you may have regarding your cat and risk

for toxoplasmosis.

* Have someone who is healthy and not pregnant change your cat's

litter box daily. If this is not possible, wear gloves and clean the

litter box every day, because the parasite found in cat feces needs

one or more days after being passed to become infectious. Wash your

hands well with soap and water afterwards.

 

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Once infected with Toxoplasma is my cat always able to spread the

infection to me?

 

No, cats only spread Toxoplasma in their feces for a few weeks

following infection with the parasite. Like humans, cats rarely have

symptoms when first infected, so most people do not know if their cat

has been infected. The infection will go away on its own; therefore it

does not help to have your cat or your cat's feces tested for Toxoplasma.

 

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This fact sheet is for information only and is not meant to be used

for self-diagnosis or as a substitute for consultation with a health

care provider. If you have any questions about the disease described

above or think that you may have a parasitic infection, consult a

health care provider.

 

Revised September 20, 2004

 

DPDx Lab AssistanceToxoplasmosis

Brochures

 

* Toxoplasmosis: An Important Message for Women Adobe Acrobat pdf

logo (248KB, 2 pages)

* You Can Prevent Toxo: A Guide for People with HIV Infection

* Toxoplasmosis: An Important Message for Cat Owners Adobe Acrobat

pdf logo (1.82MB, 2 pages)

 

More Information Toxoplasmosis

 

 

 

 

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