Food Safety Prevents Toxoplasmosis Infection

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is carried by most cats at some point in their lives, often as kittens. It can also be spread by wild animals such as birds, and livestock, such as sheep and cattle.

In most people, infection causes flu-like symptoms. Most - at least 60% of North American adults - recover without ever knowing they've had a parasite. In pregnant women and their babies, however, infection poses serious danger, one that can be prevented with safe food preparation.

Why are Pregnant Women at Risk?

Toxoplasmosis infection is dangerous to people with compromised immune systems. This includes people who are living with HIV/AIDS, undergoing cancer treatments, or taking immunosuppressive drugs after an organ transplant or to treat auto-immune diseases such as lupus. Pregnant women and newborns also have weak immune systems. In such people infection can cause high fevers, confusion, seizures, and even death.

Women who have been exposed to toxoplasmosis before becoming pregnant are at low risk, since the antibodies formed during their prior exposure protect both them and their fetuses. Women who experience toxoplasmosis exposure for the first time during pregnancy, however, are in grave danger. In addition to serious symptoms in the mother, infection can spread to the fetus, causing miscarriage, still or premature birth, low birth weight, liver and skin problems, and serious eye, skull, and brain damage - including severe mental retardation, motor dysfunction, and death.

How is Toxoplasmosis Spread?

The Toxoplasma gondii parasite can only be spread by ingestion of infected feces or from mother to child during pregnancy (rare cases have been reported from organ transplants). Common routes of infection are cat feces and litter, including cats walking on food preparation surfaces or sharing food or kisses with their owners; house flies and cockroaches who investigate cat litter then land on food or surfaces; fecal contamination of unwashed, undercooked meat; and ingestion of soil from children's play areas or eating unwashed vegetables from gardens where cats have buried feces.

How To Prevent Infection

Food surface sanitation and safe food preparation are critical.

• Wash hands after any contact with an animal or animal equipment.
• Wash hands before touching food.
• Wash hands after touching raw meat or cleaning fresh vegetables.
• Thoroughly rinse all meat before preparing and cook thoroughly.
• Wash all vegetables well before preparing or eating.
• Do not allow pets access to food preparation areas, dishes, utensils, or human food.
• Sanitize counter tops, cutting boards, stove surfaces, and all food preparation areas, utensils, and dishes. This means washing them with soap and hot water, then soaking in a solution of one tablespoon bleach per gallon (3.78 liters) of hot water for ten minutes, or flooding with the solution and allowing to air dry.

Pregnant women who clean litter boxes should wear disposable gloves, then wash hands thoroughly in soap and hot water, scrubbing for a full 30 seconds. Keep pet cats indoors to reduce risk of infection, and do not adopt new cats or kittens or play with strange cats during pregnancy.

Sources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• United States Department of Agriculture
• World Health Organization