Toxoplasma Gondii What is Toxoplasmosis? Toxoplasmosis is the cause of the disease toxoplasma gondii, a single celled parasite, that is found in cat feces. (Toxoplasmosis is found in hosts like cats, sheep, humans, mice, and rats.)

Symptoms for toxoplasmosis In healthy children and adults, toxoplasmosis may cause no symptoms at all, or may cause a mild illness (swollen lymph glands, fever, headache, and muscle aches) 5-23 days after exposure. However, Toxoplasmosis is a very severe infection for unborn babies and for people with immune system disorders. Unborn babies catch this parasite from their mother if the mother is infected during pregnancy, especially during the first three months. Unborn babies are at risk of severe infection that may result in mental retardation, blindness, or death. People who have had toxoplasmosis in the past and then develop problems with their immune systems (such as AIDS) can have severe infections of the brain that may lead to death. Infections can be treated with antibiotics.

Where it is found A Toxoplasma infection occurs by: Eating undercooked, contaminated meat (especially pork, lamb, and venison). Accidental ingestion of undercooked, contaminated meat after handling it an 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 to treat toxoplasmosis Pyrimethamine an anti-malarial medication. Sulfadiazine an antibiotic used in combination with pyrimethamine to treat toxoplasmosis. Clindamycin an antibiotic used most often for people with HIV/AIDS. Spiramycin an antibiotic used most often for pregnant women to prevent the infection of their child. .

How to prevent toxoplasmosis All this can be prevented if you: Store food in the refrigerator (40 °F or below) or freezer (0 °F or below). Cook food to a safe minimum internal temperature. Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops may be cooked to 145 °F. All cuts of pork to 160 °F. Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 °F. All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. Maintain hot cooked food at 140 °F or above. When reheating cooked food, reheat to 165 °F

Statistics Toxoplasmosis is considered to be the third leading cause of death attributed to foodborne illness in the United States. More than 60 million men, women, and children in the U.S. carry the Toxoplasma parasite, but very few have symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness.

cites http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsafety/pathogens/index.cfm?articleID=46&parent=37 www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/Ask_Karen/index.asp#Question http://www.cdc.gov/toxoplasmosis/factsheet.html