7 Ways to Prevent Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
Untold numbers of cats have been surrendered, released, given away or killed out of a somewhat overzealous belief that they can cause a terrible disease called Toxoplasmosis, known for its potential to cause birth defects in a developing fetus.
And cats are considered the number one suspect.
While the risks are actually much lower than is presumed by current misinformed thought, becoming infected by the parasite that causes it is still a valid concern for those who want to prevent harm to their babies.
However, the chances of becoming infected are actually extremely minimal...
even nil if precautions are exercised.
The following actions are easy to accomplish and require nothing drastic...
not even getting rid of the cat.
1.
Sanitation is the number one, most effective method to control and prevent infection leading to toxoplasmosis.
Therefore, simply washing one's hands after handling something unclean, and before food preparation or eating, is the best action one can take.
2.
Wear rubber gloves if you know you're going to be handling something with a potential for infection, such as cat wastes.
Better yet, get someone else to take over litter box chores.
This is a great excuse to get out of that job! Even though the organism is only present and infectious for two weeks, if at all, you don't know which two weeks it might be! 3.
Dispose of litter box waste immediately and do not touch it directly with your hands.
Clean the box daily...
not weekly.
The organism only becomes infectious after it's been able to dry out for a day or so.
4.
Wear rubber gloves while gardening or doing yard work.
You can become infected by contact with contaminated soil, too.
5.
Keep your cat indoors (where they should be anyway) to prevent them from hunting and eating a possibly infected rodent or piece of meat from someone's trash.
6.
Wear clean rubber gloves while handling raw meat in the kitchen.
Most infections come from ingesting undercooked or raw meat, so don't touch your mouth while preparing meat for a meal.
7.
Be sure to cook all meat thoroughly.
No rare steaks while pregnant, OK? The only thing you DON'T have to do is get rid of your beloved cat! Anyone who tells you differently is just an alarmist, working with outdated information.
However, that said, this is not a good time to get a new kitten, either, as they are more susceptible to infection and thus, more prone to spreading one.
Just use your head, practice good sanitation and everyone will be fine.
And cats are considered the number one suspect.
While the risks are actually much lower than is presumed by current misinformed thought, becoming infected by the parasite that causes it is still a valid concern for those who want to prevent harm to their babies.
However, the chances of becoming infected are actually extremely minimal...
even nil if precautions are exercised.
The following actions are easy to accomplish and require nothing drastic...
not even getting rid of the cat.
1.
Sanitation is the number one, most effective method to control and prevent infection leading to toxoplasmosis.
Therefore, simply washing one's hands after handling something unclean, and before food preparation or eating, is the best action one can take.
2.
Wear rubber gloves if you know you're going to be handling something with a potential for infection, such as cat wastes.
Better yet, get someone else to take over litter box chores.
This is a great excuse to get out of that job! Even though the organism is only present and infectious for two weeks, if at all, you don't know which two weeks it might be! 3.
Dispose of litter box waste immediately and do not touch it directly with your hands.
Clean the box daily...
not weekly.
The organism only becomes infectious after it's been able to dry out for a day or so.
4.
Wear rubber gloves while gardening or doing yard work.
You can become infected by contact with contaminated soil, too.
5.
Keep your cat indoors (where they should be anyway) to prevent them from hunting and eating a possibly infected rodent or piece of meat from someone's trash.
6.
Wear clean rubber gloves while handling raw meat in the kitchen.
Most infections come from ingesting undercooked or raw meat, so don't touch your mouth while preparing meat for a meal.
7.
Be sure to cook all meat thoroughly.
No rare steaks while pregnant, OK? The only thing you DON'T have to do is get rid of your beloved cat! Anyone who tells you differently is just an alarmist, working with outdated information.
However, that said, this is not a good time to get a new kitten, either, as they are more susceptible to infection and thus, more prone to spreading one.
Just use your head, practice good sanitation and everyone will be fine.
Source...