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PREGNANCY is a time when women need to take extra care of their health. But that does not mean abandoning a household pet because of the fear that it will transmit diseases.

This is especially true of toxoplasmosis, a disease that can be acquired from a cat, but which can be spread in other ways and can be easily prevented.

If toxoplasmosis is transmitted to a pregnant woman, it can be passed to her unborn child, resulting in miscarriage or serious problems after birth. The disease is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can infect many warm-blooded animals, including cats. These animals can become intermediate hosts of Toxoplasma

gondii, but cats are the main source of infectious oocysts that are passed in its feces.

The most frequent way that cats are infected with toxoplasmosis is from eating birds, mice and other small animals infected with Toxoplasma gondii. However, even indoor cats and other pets can acquire and spread toxoplasmosis by eating

infected raw and undercooked meat.

After a cat has been infected with toxoplasmosis, it will excrete potentially infectious oocysts in its feces. Cats are the only species of animal to pass this infectious stage in their stool, and then for only a two-week period. The oocysts are very hardy and can be carried by wind or water. They also require an incubation period of one to five days after excretion before they become infectious.

Because a cat typically acquires immunity to toxoplasmosis after its initial infection, it is only during this first exposure that cats usually release the oocysts in their stool. However, some women may try to avoid the chance of exposure to toxoplasmosis by surrendering their cat, but this is not a necessary step to preventing infection. By understanding the life-cycle of Toxoplasma gondii and taking a few very simple precautions, mothers-to-be and their cats can maintain their loving relationship.

It is very unlikely that a pregnant woman will contract toxoplasmosis from a cat, because transmission is not easy and the chance of infection is low. The oocysts are transmitted by ingestion; a pregnant woman would have to touch infected feces and then touch her mouth before washing her hands. Pregnant women can reduce their risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from cats by following these safety tips:

# posted by Medical Information : 3:34 AM