Pregnant Cat Owners and Toxoplasmosis

Occasionally, a pregnant owner will bring a cat to the shelter, believing that she has to give up her beloved pet. She has been advised by friends or sometimes, even her physician, to take this heartbreaking course of action. Why? Because of fear of a parasite called Toxoplasma . This parasite can infect cats, and if it is passed on to the pregnant woman, the fetus may miscarry or be born afflicted with hydrocephalus, seizures, or mental disabilities. While the possibility of contracting toxoplasmosis is certainly cause for concern, the good news is that experts in parasitology and public health agree there is no need to give Kitty away in order to avoid infection.

There are simple steps that a pregnant woman can take to avoid infection. Moreover, the possibility of transmission of this parasite from an indoor only cat to its pregnant owner is very unlikely. To understand why this is so, you need only look at the parasite's life cycle.

Any animal or bird can harbor the parasite. In fact, about 50% of human adults have been infected at some point in their lives without even being aware of it. Cats become infected by eating infected prey. Therefore, an indoo r cat, fed commercial cat food, should not be a source of toxoplasmosis at all!

People can get the infection from indoor-outdoor cats by ingesting the eggs of the parasite. These eggs are shed in the cat's feces for 3-5 days, beginning between 3-24 days after Kitty contracts the infection. In short, if your cat should get toxoplasmosis, danger of transmission to you from the feces is remote, and limited to the month after Kitty became infected. In addition, even if your cat does have an active infection, once the eggs are deposited with the cat's feces, they will not become infective for at least 24 hours. This means that in the event that another animal or human should ingest the eggs during the initial 24 hour period, these eggs will not hatch, and infection will not occur. So if the woman wears gloves and scoops the litter box at least daily, or better yet, has someone else perform the task, risk of transmission is negligible.

Steps should also be taken to avoid other sources of toxoplasmosis. Raw and undercooked meat, as well as unwashed vegetables are common sources of infection. All meat should be cooked to 151 degrees Fahrenheit, and hands and utensils which contact raw meat should be washed thoroughly. Pregnant women should also take care to avoid contact with materials possibly contaminated with the feces of outdoor cats, for example, by wearing gloves when gardening. Sandboxes should be kept covered.

The danger of aquiring toxoplasmosis is far greater from consuming or handling raw and undercooked meats than it is from an indoor cat. By taking a few simple precautions, the health of all family members, including Kitty, can be protected.

• Keep your cat indoors
• Feed commercial cat food
• Wearing gloves, scoop the litter box once a day (or let someone else do it!)
• Avoid undercooked meat
• Wash all vegetables
• Avoid materials potentially contaminated by outdoor cats (i.e. wear gloves when gardening)

Sarah Hurley - CCHS Humane Education Committee
© 1998 - Humane Education Committee, Champaign County Humane Society, 1911 East Main, Urbana, IL 61801 USA

References:

1. Dubey, J.P. "Toxoplasmosis," Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association . 205(1994):1593-1598.

2. Juckett, G. "Pets and Parasites," American Family Physician 1997 Nov; 56(1997),7: 1763-74,1777-8.

3. Smith, James Martin. Toxoplasmosis . 1997. Online. Available: http://martin.parasitology.mcgill.ca/jimspage/biol/TOXOPLAS.HTM. 12 August 1998