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Medical
doctors and veterinarians have a bit of a love/hate relationship.
Vets have a saying, "real doctors treat more than one species." I
wouldn’t be surprised if our colleagues on the human medicine side
of things have a similar adage, but I’m not privy to it.
One of
the bones that I have to pick with some of the docs out there is
their misunderstanding of the disease
toxoplasmosis.
How many of you have been told that you needed to "get rid" of your
cats while you were pregnant or at the very least have your cats
tested for toxoplasmosis?
These recommendations drive my absolutely crazy! Here’s why.
First of all, a bit of background. Toxoplasmosis is caused by a
microscopic parasite named
Toxoplasma gondii.
Cats generally pick up these organisms when they hunt and eat
infected prey. Healthy cats rarely get sick themselves from the
parasite, but when they are infected for the first time, they can
shed it in their feces. This is what doctors and many pregnant women
worry about. Why? Because if a pregnant woman becomes infected with
Toxoplasma
for the first time while she is pregnant, she may miscarry or give
birth to a child who suffers from birth defects.
Now on to why I have such a burr under my saddle about doctors and
toxo. To recommend that a pregnant woman get rid of her cat(s) is
taking the easy way out. It might take a bit of effort and time for
a doctor to explain the real risks of toxoplasmosis and how to
reduce them, but that is exactly what needs to be done to protect
babies as well as prevent unnecessary suffering for mothers,
families, and family pets.
These are the facts:
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People become infected with toxo when they inadvertently eat the
parasite. The risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from ingesting
cat feces is much lower than it is from handling and eating
undercooked pork. So if doctors are going to counsel that
pregnant women "get rid" of anything, it should actually be pig
meat, not their pet cats.
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If
anybody is going to be tested for toxo, it should be the
pregnant woman, not the cat. A cat will come up positive if it
has been exposed to the parasite at any point in its life, but
it only poses a risk if it is shedding the parasite in its
feces, which generally occurs for a very short period.
Therefore, a positive feline test is meaningless in this
situation. Testing a pregnant woman, on the other hand, can be
helpful. If her test is positive already, perfect. She has been
infected in the past and even if she is exposed again during her
pregnancy her unborn child will not be affected. If she is
negative, then she should take precautions.
Pregnant women can protect themselves and their babies from
toxoplasmosis by following five simple rules:
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Get
somebody else in the house to clean out the litter box (my
husband took over when I was pregnant and I’ve managed never to
take back that chore -- yippee!)
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If a
pregnant woman does have to clean out the litter boxes, she
should scoop them at least once daily. The parasite must spend
24 to 48 hours outside of the cat’s body before it is capable of
causing an infection, so frequently cleaning the box will
virtually eliminate the chances of disease transmission.
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Wear
gloves when cleaning out litter boxes or handling potentially
contaminated soils (e.g., when gardening) or pork and wash hands
thoroughly afterwards.
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Thoroughly cook any food containing meat derived from pigs
before eating it.
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Keep
cats indoors to reduce, though not eliminate, the chances of
them eating infected prey.
Having children is life-altering enough. Pregnant women don’t need
the additional stress of making a false choice between the health of
their babies and the welfare of their pets.
Dr.
Jennifer Coates
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