Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite is found throughout the world. More than 60 million people in the United States probably carry the Toxoplasma parasite, but very few have symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, pregnant women and those with compromised immune systems should be cautious because a Toxoplasma infection can cause serious problems.You can become infected after accidentally ingesting (swallowing) infective Toxoplasma eggs from soil or other contaminated surfaces, or if you have eaten raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork, lamb, or venison, or if you have touched your hands to your mouth after touching the meat.
How can I get toxoplasmosis?
- Through accidental ingestion of contaminated cat feces. This can occur if you 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.
- Through ingestion of raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork, lamb, or venison, or by touching your hands to your mouth after handling undercooked meat.
- Through contamination of knives, utensils, cutting boards and other foods that have had contact with raw meat.
- Through drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma.
- Although extremely rare, by receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion.
Manifestations: Most people who become infected with toxoplasmosis have no symptoms, but you may have:
- swollen lymph glands
- muscle aches and pains
You will recover in a few days.
Patients with immune system problems and infants may develop severe toxoplasmosis, which results in damage to the eye or the brain. Infants who became infected before birth can be born retarded or with several other serious mental or physical problems.
Diagnosis and treatment: Diagnosis - There are several different kinds of blood tests for toxoplasmosis. The results from the different tests can help your provider determine if you have Toxoplasma infection and if the infection is recent (‘acute’). Treatment is available.
What should I do if I think I am at risk for severe toxoplasmosis?
- If you have a weakened immune system, have 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.)
- 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.
Prevent toxoplasmosis by:
There are several general sanitation and food safety steps you can take to reduce your chances of becoming infected.
- Wear gloves when you garden or do anything outdoors that involves handling soil. Cats, which may pass the parasite in their faeces, 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.
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