Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the parasite toxoplasma gondii and is usually transmitted by a parasite that enters the body through the mouth, for example by eating under cooked meat. Although most toxoplasmosis sufferers have no symptoms and do not require treatment, pregnant women should be aware of the risks associated with exposure to the parasite, as it can be very serious for newborns. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxicoplasma gondii and can threaten the health of unborn children. There is a proven link between infection and cat ownership, as cats can pass the toxoplasma gondii parasite through their feces, where the infected parasite eggs can lay.
A person can also get it by eating raw meat from a parasite – infected animals or cooked food that comes into contact with contaminated meat. Transmission to humans occurs through direct contact between infected animals and contaminated food or water sources. Fetal infections can occur during pregnancy, which occur in the first weeks of life and in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Fetal infection can also occur at birth, with fetal infection occurring in up to 10% of all cases in humans and 1% in animals.
Toxoplasmosis can also be transmitted to humans by eating contaminated meat that is undercooked. In most cases, the T. gondii parasite causes few symptoms in humans, and most people are too young to even recognize that they have been infected. A recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) concluded that only about 1% of all toxoplasmosis cases in the United States are caused by eating contaminated meat.
If symptoms of toxoplasmosis such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and blurred vision require immediate medical attention, especially if your immune system is compromised. If symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain or fatigue persist or subside, it is most likely due to the presence of the T. gondii parasite in the bloodstream. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a single-celled parasitic organism that can infect most animals and birds. Wild and domestic cats are the ultimate host of the parasite, as the infectious organism T. is only excreted in cat excrement.
If you touch your mouth while cleaning the cat flap or touching things that come into contact with the feces of an infected cat, you can ingest the parasite. This can also happen if you forget to wash your hands in contaminated soil while gardening or change your cat litter boxes. Eating unwashed fruit and vegetables that have come into contact with cat feces can also lead to an active infection with T. gondii oocysts.
In adults, acute infections with tachyzoites are usually asymptomatic, but in some areas of the world it is likely that you will become permanently infected and have serum igg titers of T. gondii. In individuals, toxoplasmosis is usually known as meningoencephalitis, and tissue cysts are located in the brain when immunity wanes. It is also of concern in pregnant women, as tachyzoites migrate transplacentrically and can cause inflammation of the lungs and liver.
Toxoplasma gondii eggs can live in the feces of cats for up to 18 months and are buried in the ground, and the parasite is released by cats. Infections with T. gondii can occur in humans as well as in animals such as dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, amphibians and reptiles. The majority of pregnant people in the US, as well as people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), have a chance of developing toxoplasmosis.
If you or someone you know is pregnant or considering pregnancy, you should warn your cat owner of the dreaded risk of toxoplasmosis, especially if it is cat owners. People who have recently had a cat, have cats outdoors, eat under cooked meat or have recently had mononucleosis – type 2 – have an increased chance of getting it. The toxoplasma parasite can infect most birds and warm-blooded animals, including humans, and it can infect the blood of most of these creatures, including pets. The risk of infection is high in humans, including adults and children, as well as in horses, dogs and cats.
When infected with birds, mice or other raw meat, cats can excrete infectious feces, and when exposed to infected feces from cats, they can return in the form of toxoplasmosis. If you pet your cat or have a cat as a pet, you can also catch toxoplasmosis from the cat’s blood.