Hello Jodigirl,
According to the CDC, you don?t have to euthanize your cats.
However, it is recommended that you keep them indoors, and away from
birds, rodents and raw meat. It?s even possible your daughter
contracted toxoplasmosis through a source other than your cats, such
as raw meat, or unwashed fruits or veggies that were in contact with
animal feces.
How do people get toxoplasmosis?
A Toxoplasma infection occurs by:
? Accidentally swallowing cat feces from a Toxoplasma-infected cat
that is shedding the organism in its feces. This might happen if you
were to accidentally touch your hands to your mouth after gardening,
cleaning a cat's litter box, or touching anything that has come into
contact with cat feces. Eating contaminated raw or partly cooked meat,
especially pork, lamb, or venison; by touching your hands to your
mouth after handling undercooked meat.
? Contaminating food with knives, utensils, cutting boards and other
foods that have had contact with raw meat.
? Drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma.
? Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion, though
this is rare.?
?If I am at risk, would I be able to keep my cat?
Yes, you may keep your cat if you are a person at risk for a severe
infection (e.g., you have a weakened immune system or are pregnant);
however, there are several safety precautions to avoid being exposed
to Toxoplasma:
? Keep your cat healthy and help prevent it from becoming infected
with Toxoplasma. Keep your cat indoors and feed it dry or canned cat
food rather than allowing it to have access to wild birds and rodents
or to food scraps. A cat can become infected by eating infected prey
or by eating raw or undercooked meat infected with the parasite. Do
not bring a new cat into your house that might have spent time out of
doors or might have been fed raw meat. Avoid stray cats and kittens
and the area they have adopted as their "home." Your veterinarian can
answer any other questions you may have regarding your cat and risk
for toxoplasmosis.
? Have someone who is healthy and not pregnant change your cat's
litter box daily. If this is not possible, wear gloves and clean the
litter box every day, because the parasite found in cat feces needs
one or more days after being passed to become infectious. Wash your
hands well with soap and water afterwards.
?No, cats only spread Toxoplasma in their feces for a few weeks
following infection with the parasite. Like humans, cats rarely have
symptoms when first infected, so most people do not know if their cat
has been infected. The infection will go away on its own; therefore it
does not help to have your cat or your cat's feces tested for
Toxoplasma.?
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/factsht_toxoplasmosis.htm#spread
?People can get toxoplasmosis by: 1) eating food, drinking water, or
having contact with soil contaminated with tool from an infected cat,
or 2) eating inadequately cooked meat that is contaminated with the
parasite. Women who become infected during or just before pregnancy
can pass the infection to their unborn infants.?
?People can get toxoplasmosis by:
? Eating food, drinking water, or having contact with soil or anything
else that contains or has touched stool from an infected cat -- For
about 2 weeks after infection with Toxoplasma, cats pass millions of
parasites in their stool every day. The parasites mature and can
infect people for 2 to 5 days after they are passed in a cat's stool.
No treatment can prevent cats from being infected or from passing the
parasite.
? Eating raw or inadequately cooked meat -- Toxoplasma infects many
kinds of birds and mammals. They get toxoplasmosis in the same way
that people do: by eating food or drinking?
?2. Take precautions to avoid infection:
? Wear gloves when gardening or doing anything outside that involves
handling soil. Cats often use gardens and sandboxes as litter boxes,
and they can pass the Toxoplasma parasite in their feces.
? Wash hands well with soap and warm water after touching raw meat,
after gardening and other outdoor activities, and before preparing or
eating food.
? Have someone who is healthy and not pregnant handle raw meat. If
this is not possible, wear clean latex gloves when touching raw meat,
and wash any cutting boards, surfaces, and utensils that might have
touched raw meat. Wash hands well with soap and warm water afterwards.
? Cook all meat thoroughly, until it is no longer pink in the center
or until the juices run clear. Do not sample meat before it is fully
cooked.
http://www.astdhpphe.org/infect/toxo.html
?How Is It Spread?
People can catch toxoplasmosis from:
? touching or coming into contact with infected cat feces (cats get
the infection from eating infected rodents, birds, or other small
animals)
? eating raw or undercooked meat that's infected
? eating uncooked, unwashed fruits or vegetables that have been
contaminated by manure
? being born with it (a woman who gets a toxoplasmosis infection while
pregnant may pass the parasite on to her unborn child through the
bloodstream)?
?Although toxoplasmosis parasites may grow and multiply within 1 week
after entering a person's body, it may be weeks or months before
symptoms of infection appear (if they appear at all).
Once a person has become infected with toxoplasmosis, the infection
remains in the body for life, usually in a latent (inactive) form that
won't cause the person any side effects or harm. The infection can be
reactivated, however, if the immune system becomes compromised by an
HIV infection or cancer therapy.
In a child with a healthy immune system, mild symptoms of
toxoplasmosis (such as swollen glands) usually pass within a few
months, even without medical treatment. But kids born with severe
congenital toxoplasmosis may have permanent vision problems or mental
retardation. And in a child with a weakened immune system,
toxoplasmosis can be fatal.?
?Food Tips
? Cook meats thoroughly.
? Wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw meat or
unwashed vegetables.
? Wash all fruits and vegetables before serving. You may also want to peel them.
? Freeze meat for a few days before cooking it, which helps to reduce
the likelihood of toxoplasmosis infection, says the CDC.
? Thoroughly wash all cutting boards, utensils, and kitchen surfaces
(especially those that come into contact with raw meat) with hot soapy
water after each use.
? Cook all meats completely (the juices should be clear and there
should be no pink areas).
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/parasitic/toxoplasmosis.html
?Most cases of toxoplasmosis do not originate from contact with cats,
but rather from consumption of raw meat.
Cats which have been raised indoors, have never caught and eaten mice
or birds, and who have never been fed raw meat are not likely to be
infected. A stray or unfamiliar cat which appears sick should not be
handled but should be reported to your local Animal Control Officer.?
http://www.metrokc.gov/health/prevcont/toxoplas.htm#Cats
Hope this helps! Enjoy your cats! If any part of this answer is
unclear, please request an Answer Clarification, and allow me to
respond, before rating. I will be happy to assist you further, on this
question, before you rate the answer.
Sincerely, Crabcakes
Search Terms
====================
Toxoplasmosis + cats
Preventing toxoplasmosis |
