How To Avoid Toxoplasmosis And Keep Your Cat

Some people who are at special risk for toxoplasmosis, especially people who have had organ transplants and have to be put on immune rejection drugs, simply cannot keep cats. The risk of contracting toxoplasmosis is simply too high with a cat in the house or even in the yard.

But what if you just don't want to risk toxoplasmosis, and you can't imagine giving up the family cat? Here is what you need to know and do to minimize the risk of infection.

• No breed of cat that is more or less likely to be infected with the parasite. Most cats carry it.
• Infection with toxoplasmosis is much more common in Western Europe than in the USA. One study found that 63 percent of French people are infected with the parasite, compared to about 30 percent of Americans.
• Country cats are more likely to be infected with toxoplasmosis than city cats, because they eat more mice and rats. If your cat is a good "mouser," it is more likely to get the parasite from the rodents it eats.
• Avoid contact with cat feces. Wear gloves when changing the litter box, but even if you do, pet owners should wash their hards when they're done with this task. Vacuum around the litter box regularly. Don't walk barefoot in the yard if your cats have ever defecated there — the eggs of the parasite can survive for years in the soil, long after any evidence of feces has weathered away, even after cat poop has been picked up and put in the trash.
• Wear gloves when working with soil in the garden or in flower beds. If there is a chance that a visiting cat has relieved itself in your yard or flower bed, parasites may have been deposited into the soil.
• Wash hands thoroughly after handling eggs (chickens can also get infected with the parasite) or raw meat (as can farm animals). Don't eat raw meat, and make sure blood from raw meat does not contaminate other foodstuffs.
• Wash fruits and vegetables, especially fruits and vegetables that come from your garden, the gardens of your friends and neighbors, or organic farms. The inherent quality of these fruits and vegetables is usually higher than anything you can get at the supermarket, but contamination is more likely, too.

See Also: Interesting Things about Dogs and Cats

Treatment for toxoplasmosis usually is not necessary if there are no symptoms, except in children under the age of five, in whom it is important to prevent vision and hearing loss. People who have AIDS or HIV are usually given aggressive treatment for the parasite if their CD4+ (T-cell) counts fall below 100. Babies who are born with the infection need to be followed closely to make sure hearing and vision are normal and there are no developmental delays, usually through the age of six. Visiting the doctor as often as once a week for routine blood work may be necessary.