HOW TO PREVENT TOXOPLASMOSIS

Many women, cat owners and lovers alike, have faced a dilema when pregnant about contracting toxoplasmosis during gestation from contact with their pet. Often, through lack of knowledge, they are forced to get rid of their feline friend; for this reason it is necessary to know all posible avenues of contagion and , more important, preventative measures to take during gestation.

 

• Dont allow your cat outside the house to places where they may come into contact with toxoplasma by eating an infected rodent or bird.
• Cats usually become infected by eating contaminated meat(tissue cysts of toxoplasma). This parasite is reproduced in the cats intestines and ends up in the faeces. In the environment these oocysts spawn, becoming infectious to us in a few days. This is why your cats faeces must be removed daily.
• Ensure another family member cleans the litter tray and then disinfect it with boiling wáter for 5 minutes.
• If you have to clean the litter tray, use rubber/plastic gloves to avoid contact with the faeces and afterwards wash your hands thoroughly with soap and wáter.
• Use work gloves when working in the garden and wash your hands afterwards in case a cat has done its business there.
• Cover childrens toy sand pit trays when they are not using them as cats like to defecate there.
• Control insects, fleas, ticks as much as posible. They can carry earth of fecal material from an infected cat to your food.
• Peel or wash fruit and vegetables that are eaten raw with a special bleach suitable for foodstuffs, rinsing well under the tap so that any cysts are washed away.
• Avoid eating raw, or badly cooked meat, especially lamb, goat or pork, without forgetting posible transmission by eating meat from hunting animals, eg. deer, wild boar.

 

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis. It infects herbivores, omnivores and carnivores, including almost all mamals. The presence of tissue cysts is frquently found in meat for human consumption. These die at 72degrees so it is very important the interior of cooked food reaches this temperatura. The parasite dies when frozen to below 180degrees, so home freezing of meat is not sufficient as domestic freezers only reach –18degrees.

Avoid processed meats and serrano ham which havent been cooked. Although seemingly a certain degree of salting and drying of the ham can kill toxoplasma, it cant totally. Although certain pieces of serrano ham can be eaten, it is better to avoid it altogether during pregnancy.

 

• Avoid raw eggs and unpasteurised milk.
• When eating out, avoid raw vegetables and fruit.
• Wash your hands carefully with soap and wáter before eating and after coming into contact with raw meat or cat litter. It is also very important to wash well any utensils and work surfaces used when handling raw meat.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes or face when preparing food and wash all work surfaces very carefully when finished.