The Public Health Significance of Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be spread from animal to man.  It is an infection caused by the single-celled parasite Toxoplasma gondi, and can be found in all species of animals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 60 million people in the United States may be infected with the Toxoplasma parasite and not know it. Of those who are infected, very few have symptoms because a healthy person’s immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, it does have the potential to create serious health problems in people with compromised immune systems and in pregnant women, most notably birth defects and possible fetal abortion.

Toxoplasmosis is rarely transmitted to a human from an infected cat.  Cats only spread Toxoplasma in their feces for a few weeks following the first time they become infected with the parasite. Like humans, cats rarely have symptoms when first infected, so most people do not know if their cat has been exposed. If infected most cats will self-clear the Toxoplasma organism via a healthy immune system; therefore, it does not help to have your cat or your cat’s feces tested for Toxoplasma. 

How do you get Toxoplasmosis?

• Eating undercooked, contaminated meat (especially pork, lamb, and venison).
• Accidental ingestion of undercooked, contaminated meat after handling it and not washing hands thoroughly (Toxoplasma cannot be absorbed through intact skin).
• Eating food that was contaminated by knives, utensils, cutting boards and other foods that have had contact with raw, contaminated meat.
• Drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii.
• Accidentally swallowing the parasite through contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma. This might happen by cleaning a cat’s litter box when the cat has shed Toxoplasma in its feces, touching or ingesting anything that has come into contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma, accidentally ingesting contaminated soil (e.g., not washing hands after gardening or eating unwashed fruits or vegetables from a garden).
• Mother-to-child (congenital) transmission.
• Receiving an infected organ transplant or infected blood via transfusion, though this is rare.

How can you protect yourself and your baby from Toxoplasmosis?

• Change the litter box daily. The Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 to 5 days after it is shed in a cat’s feces.
• If you are pregnant or immunocompromised: avoid changing cat litter if possible. If no one else can perform the task, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.
• Periodically sanitize litter boxes with boiling water or bleach.
• Keep cats indoors. Cats usually get the disease by eating live prey animals such as mice, or through contact with other infected cats, cat feces, or infected soil.
• Do not adopt or handle stray cats, especially kittens. Do not get a new cat while you are pregnant.
• Feed cats only canned or dried commercial food or well-cooked table food.  Do not feed raw or undercooked meats.
• Keep your outdoor sandboxes covered so that cats do not use them as a litter box.