Facts of LifeHandling cats during pregnancy: is it a concern? [Archives:2005/839/Health]

By Dr. Khaled alNsour
For the Yemen Times
Your cat is a part of the family, but you wonder if it's safe to keep it if you're pregnant. If this is a concern of yours, and it is a common one, you can relax. Your kitty can stay right where she belongs. However, there are some precautions you will want to take if you are pregnant.

Toxoplasmosis, a disease of cats and other mammalian species, is caused by a parasitic protozoan, Toxoplasmosis gondii (T. gondii). It is not a new disease, having first been discovered in 1908. Since its discovery, toxoplasmosis has been found in virtually all warm-blooded animals including most pets, livestock, and human beings. Nearly one-third of all adults in the U.S. and in Europe have antibodies to Toxoplasma, which means they have been exposed to this parasite.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease. It is transported from animals to humans. There are two populations at high risk for infection with Toxoplasma; pregnant women and immunodeficient individuals. It has been estimated that Toxoplasma is responsible for over three thousand human congenital infections in the United States each year, most of which are symptom less. Congenital infection is of greatest concern in humans. About one-third to one-half of infants born to mothers who have Toxoplasma during that pregnancy are infected. “In general, Toxoplasma infection of the fetus is least common (but disease is most severe) if the maternal infection occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Fetal infection is most common (but disease is least severe, often without symptoms) if the maternal infection occurs during the third trimester.”

Although the majority of infected infants show no symptoms of

toxoplasmosis at birth, many are likely to develop signs of the infection later in their life. Loss of vision, mental retardation, loss of hearing, and death in severe cases, are the symptoms of toxoplasmosis in co genitally infected children.

The life cycle of T. gondii has been reviewed extensively. Cats usually become infected with T. gondii by ingestion of encysted organisms present in the tissues of a chronically infected intermediate host (see figure 1 & 2). The cyst wall is digested by the cat, releasing infectious organisms into the intestinal lumen.

How do people become infected with Toxoplasmosis?

There are 3 principal ways that Toxoplasma can be transmitted:

1. Directly from pregnant mothers to unborn children if the mother becomes infected with Toxoplasma during pregnancy.

2. Consumption and handling of undercooked or raw meat from

infected animals.

3. Ingestion of food or water or inhalation of dust contaminated with a very resistant form of Toxoplasma called the oocyst, during a period called Stage F.

Cats previously unexposed to T. gondii usually begin shedding oocysts between 3 and 10 days after ingestion of infected tissue, and continue shedding for around 10-14 days, during which time many millions of oocysts may be produced. Once a cat has developed an immune response, further shedding of oocysts is extremely rare.

To help prevent Toxoplasma infection in cats, follow these steps:

1. Keep cats indoors and do not allow them to hunt rodents and birds.

2. Feed cats only cooked meat or processed food from commercial

sources.

3. Secure trash containers to prevent your cat from scavenging the garbage.

4. Remove carcasses of rodents or birds before your cat can get to them.

Specific Recommendations for Pregnant Women

– Exclude rare or undercooked meat and unpasteurized dairy products from the diet.

– Protect cats from infection (or reinfection) by preventing access to birds, rodents, uncooked meat, and unpasteurized dairy products.

– Avoid handling any cat showing signs of illness.

– Wear rubber gloves if working with garden soil. Uncooked vegetables, whether grown in a home garden or supplied commercially, they should be washed thoroughly before ingestion, in case cat feces have contaminated them.

– Make a habit of vigorously and thoroughly washing hands with soap and water after contact with soil, cats, unpasteurized dairy products or uncooked meat or vegetables.

– When cooking, avoid tasting meat before it is fully cooked. Cook meat thoroughly until the internal temperature reaches 152_F (66_C) in a conventional oven. Micro waving is not a sure way to kill Toxoplasmosis in meat.

Wish you a healthy pregnancy!

Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, New York
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