I'm prenant. We have 3 indoor cats. All have been outdoor for a period of their life. Could they aquire toxoplasmosis as a kitten and then keep it in thier body forever or does is die off eventually?
2006-06-24 03:08:53 · 3 answers · asked by Dana E 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
They can't keep it for longer than 2 months. Also, you can only get it from their poo, so if you don't touch that and you keep the litterbox clean, you're OK. Usually toxoplasmosis is not transmitted directly from cat to humans, but from other animals who take less good hygiene measures (like pigs). So if you eat pork -or if your cats eat pork or any oyther meat - which is not very well done, that's the danger. So bake well meat, avoid pork, feed the cats only cat food from a good scientific firm and only excellently baked meat, and you're OK. Also have a blood test for toxoplasma (IgG and IgM) to make sure you haven't got it.
Cats can get it from raw meat and then their poo can be infected, so take care of the cats' diet
2006-06-24 03:15:16 · answer #1 · answered by cpinatsi 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Some guidelines from Web MD...
"Pregnancy:
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii that can threaten the health of an unborn child. You can get the infection from handling soil or cat litter that contains cat feces infected with the parasite. You can also get it from eating undercooked meat from animals infected with the parasite or from uncooked foods that have come in contact with contaminated meat. If you have been infected with Toxoplasma once, you usually will not become infected again.
What Are the Symptoms of Toxoplasma?
Because the majority of people with Toxoplasma have no symptoms, it may be difficult to know if you have been infected. When symptoms do appear, they can resemble the flu and include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and swollen lymph glands.
How Can I Find Out if I Have Been Infected?
A blood test is available that can show you whether you are currently infected with toxoplasma or if you have been infected in the past. Since this test is not routinely done, you may want to talk to your health care provider about being tested before you become pregnant. "
There are tons more articles in there on the subject and pregnancy, which give you pretty good links to finding out more on the subject.
2006-06-24 10:38:37 · answer #2 · answered by katbanshee1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they "SHED" the virus only after being exposed to it for the first time - they get it from mice so indoor cats are relatively safe...
2006-06-24 10:12:52 · answer #3 · answered by CF_ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋