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Recently, I was listening to an episode of Radiolab about parasites. In the episode, they covered several critters, but I was particularly fascinated with the segment on the parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii. All birds and mammals can be carriers of the parasitic protozoa, but cats are the only hosts in which the Toxoplasma can sexually reproduce, which makes them the main carriers of the parasite. And cat poo is where you, the cat owner, may come into contact with the parasite. The good news: Toxoplasmosis (the disease caused by the parasite) is relatively harmless for most healthy people and non-pregnant women. In fact, many people — cat owners or not — have probably come into contact with the parasite. So what should you know about Toxoplasmosis?

• First of all, a no brainer: Always wash your hands after you scoop your cat’s litter! Toxoplasma is spread orally, so don’t eat or put your hands in your mouth before you scrub your hands with soap and water. And a good reason to scoop more often than not — besides the fact that your cat will be happier — is that Toxoplasma spores become infectious in about
  12 hours. By scooping twice daily, you’re less likely to come into contact with active spores.

• More than 60 million men, women, and children in the U.S. carry the Toxoplasma parasite, but most never have symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. Besides through (accidentally, I hope) eating cat poop, people can be exposed to the parasite by eating undercooked, contaminated meat, eating unwashed fruits or vegetables from a garden, and drinking water that’s been contaminated by the parasite. 

• If you do get sick from Toxoplasma and you are healthy, you may have mild flu-like symptoms, such as tender lymph nodes and muscle aches that last for several weeks and
  then go away. The parasite remains in the body in an inactive state.

• Pregnant women should be careful about exposure to Toxoplasma. Fetal abnormalities (and fatalities) can occur in women who are newly exposed to Toxoplasma. The good news is the fetus of women who were already exposed to the parasite are immune to the disease (if exposure was at least six months before the woman became pregnant). So if you’ve been a cat owner for more than six months, there’s a good chance your unborn baby is safe. To be extra cautious, get someone else to clean the litterbox when you’re pregnant. But please, please, please do not get rid of your cat!

• Immunocompromised people (such as people with HIV) and animals (such as cats with FIV and FELV) should also be careful about exposure to Toxoplasma. Bad news, immunocompromised people who have already been exposed to the parasite can become sick with Toxoplasmosis, because the once inactive parasite can become reactivated. In some people with compromised immune system, the infection can cause fever,
  confusion, headache, seizures, nausea, and poor coordination.

• People with indoor cats are not in the high risk category, because their
  cats probably haven’t been exposed to rodent carriers and aren’t fed raw meat that might have been contaminated.

• Cats are also only infectious once, the first time they are exposed to the parasite. After this time,  they have an immunity to it.

If you haven’t already, I really suggest listening to the Radiolab podcast on Parasites for more fascinating (and strange) facts about Toxoplasma. 

Resources:

• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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