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This article was co-written by Chris M. Matsko, MD. Dr. Matsko is a retired physician with offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was awarded the University of Pittsburgh Cornell’s Distinguished Leadership Award. He received his PhD from Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. He holds a Research Diploma from AMWA in 2016 and a Medical Content Writing & Editorial Certificate from the University of Chicago in 2017.
There are 13 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 4,429 times.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is a single-celled organism that is susceptible to infection by eating infected meat, dairy products, or by contact with the feces of cats carrying the parasite. Most people with the disease do not notice any symptoms because the healthy immune system is fighting the parasites on its own. However, Toxoplasmosis is very dangerous for fetuses, newborns and people with weakened immune systems. [1] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
Steps
Determine if you have a parasitic infection
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Recognize the symptoms of an acute parasitic infection. 80-90% of people infected with Toxoplasmosis have no symptoms and do not know they are infected. Some will have flu-like symptoms that last for several weeks. Because Toxoplasmosis is dangerous to the fetus, pregnant women should see a doctor if they have the following symptoms: [2] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to source
- Fever
- Muscle pain
- Tired
- Sorethroat
- Swollen lymph nodes
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Get tested if there is a high risk of infection. Toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems and babies. People in the following risk groups should ask their doctor for a blood test: [3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to source
- Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Toxoplasmosis can be passed to an unborn baby in utero and cause serious birth defects.
- People with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to complications from Toxoplasmosis.
- People undergoing chemotherapy. Chemotherapy also weakens the immune system and makes infections more dangerous than usual.
- People who are taking immunosuppressive drugs or steroids. These drugs make you more susceptible to serious infections and complications from Toxoplasmosis.
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Ask your doctor to explain the test results. A blood test will show whether the antibodies are fighting the parasite that causes Toxoplasmosis. Antibodies are proteins that the body produces to fight infection. In other words, blood tests do not test for the presence of parasites and make interpretation of test results more difficult. [4] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source[5] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source[6] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to Source
- A negative result means that you don’t have the parasite or that you’ve only had a recent infection so your body hasn’t made antibodies yet. The second cause can be screened for by retesting after a few weeks. A negative result also means you don’t have immunity to fight future infections.
- A positive result can be due to one of two reasons. It is possible that you are infected with a parasite or have had a previous infection and the antibodies will reflect the body’s immunity. For a positive case, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the test results be confirmed by a specialized laboratory that can analyze different types of antibodies to determine if you are pregnant. Are you infected with parasites or not?
Diagnosis and treatment for mother and baby
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Talk to your doctor about your baby’s risk of parasitic infections. Toxoplasmosis can be passed to a baby during pregnancy even if the mother is not feeling sick. Risks to a child if infected include: [7] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to source
- Miscarriage and infant death shortly after birth
- Epileptic
- Swollen liver and spleen
- Yellow skin, yellow eyes
- Eye infections and blindness
- Hearing loss (with age)
- Mental disability (in old age)
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Talk to your doctor about testing for your baby in utero. There are two ways your doctor may suggest testing your unborn baby. [8] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source[9] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
- Supersonic. This procedure involves using sound waves to create an image of the baby in the uterus. Ultrasound poses no danger to mother or baby. An ultrasound can show if your baby has signs of an infection, such as excess fluid around the brain. However, ultrasound does not rule out the possibility that an infection is present but asymptomatic at the time.
- Amniocentesis. This procedure involves inserting a needle through the pregnant woman’s abdominal wall and into the sac of fluid surrounding the fetus to extract the fluid. Amniotic fluid can be used to test for Toxoplasmosis. Amniocentesis carries a 1% risk of miscarriage. This test can confirm or confirm Toxoplasmosis but cannot show whether a child is infected.
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Ask your doctor about medication. The medication your doctor recommends will depend on whether the disease is passed on to your unborn baby. [10] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source[11] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- If the parasitic infection has not passed to the fetus, your doctor may recommend the antibiotic Spiramycin. Medicines can sometimes help prevent the disease from being passed on to the unborn baby.
- If your baby is already infected with a parasite, your doctor may recommend treatment with the drugs Pyrimethamine (Daraprim) and Sulfadiazine. These medicines are only prescribed after the 6th week of pregnancy. Pyrimethamine can prevent absorption of fpic acid – an acid important for the baby’s development, and cause bone marrow suppression and liver problems in the baby. Therefore, you should ask your doctor about the side effects of the drug for mother and baby before taking it.
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Conduct a newborn checkup. If you contracted the parasite that causes Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, your doctor will check your baby soon after birth to see if there are signs of eye problems or brain damage. However, symptoms may appear late in some children, so doctors often recommend blood tests. [12] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source[13] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to Source
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends sending all newborn blood samples to a specialized laboratory for testing. [14] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source
- Your baby may need to be retested at regular intervals during the first year to confirm no parasite infection.
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Follow your doctor’s recommendations when treating infants. If your baby has Toxoplasmosis, your doctor may recommend regular monitoring in conjunction with medication. Unfortunately, if the child is already damaged by the parasite, the damage cannot be cured. However, taking the following medications can help prevent future damage. [15] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source[16] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
- Pyrimethamine (Daraprim)
- Sulfadiazine
- Functional food supplement with fpic acid. Supplements are often recommended because pyrimethamine can prevent children from absorbing fpic acid.
Diagnosis and treatment of people with weakened immune systems
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Talk to your doctor about treatments. Doctors often recommend different medications, depending on whether the parasitic infection is active or inactive. An inactive parasitic infection is when the parasite is dormant but can become active again if the immune system is weakened. [17] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source[18] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- Your doctor may recommend Pyrimethamine (Daraprim), Sulfadiazine, and fpic acid supplements for active parasitic infections. One form of the drug Pyrimethamine (Daraprim) combined with an antibiotic is called Clindamycin (Cleocin). Clindamycin can cause diarrhea.
- For an inactive parasitic infection, your doctor may recommend the medications Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazpe to prevent an active infection.
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Recognize the signs of ocular Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis can cause serious eye infections in people with weakened immune systems. The parasite can stay dormant in the retina and then cause an active infection later on. In that case, the patient will be given anti-infective drugs and steroids to reduce swelling in the eye. If present, scarring in the eye can be permanent. See a doctor immediately if you have symptoms: [19] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source[20] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- Blurred eyes
- The phenomenon of flying flies
- Decreased eyesight
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Determination of Toxoplasmosis of the brain. It occurs when parasites cause lesions or cysts in the brain. Brain toxoplasmosis is treated with drugs that kill the parasites and reduce swelling in the brain. [21] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source[22] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source
- Brain toxoplasmosis can cause headaches, confusion, loss of coordination, seizures, fever, and slurred speech.
- Your doctor can diagnose brain toxoplasmosis with an MRI scan. During an MRI scan, a large machine uses magnets and radio waves to create images of the brain. An MRI is not dangerous, but you need to lie on a table to slide into the machine, so it can be a problem for someone with claustrophobia. In cases that are resistant to treatment (rare), your doctor may perform a brain biopsy.
Prevention of Toxoplasmosis
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Avoid eating food contaminated with parasites. Meat, animal milk, and vegetables can all be contaminated with the parasite that causes Toxoplasmosis. [23] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source[24] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to Source
- Avoid eating raw meat. Raw meat includes rare and cured meats, especially lamb, goat, beef, and pork. Raw meat including sausages and smoked cold cuts. If the animal is infected with Toxoplasmosis, the parasite can remain alive and contagious.
- Cook whole cuts of meat to a minimum of 63°C, ground meat to a minimum of 71°C and poultry to a minimum of 74°C. Use a specialized thermometer to measure the temperature in the thickest part of the meat. After processing is complete, the temperature must be maintained at minimum or higher for at least 3 minutes.
- Freeze meat for several days at temperatures below -18°C. This reduces (but does not eliminate) the risk of parasitic infections.
- Wash and/or peel all vegetables. If they come into contact with contaminated soil, fruits and vegetables can transmit Toxoplasmosis if not washed or peeled.
- Do not drink unpasteurized milk, eat cheese from unpasteurized milk or untreated water.
- Wash utensils and food preparation surfaces (such as knives and cutting boards) that have come in contact with raw or unwashed food.
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Avoid contact with dirty soil. Soil can carry parasites if animals carrying parasites defecate there. You can reduce your risk by: [25] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to source
- Wear gloves when gardening and wash your hands after you’re done.
- Cover the sand pit to prevent the cat from urinating.
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Control the risk of parasitic infections from domestic cats. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you don’t necessarily need to stay away from domestic cats while you’re pregnant. There are other ways that can help reduce the risk of parasites: [26] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source[27] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source
- Test to determine if your cat is carrying Toxoplasmosis.
- Keep cats indoors. Domestic cats can become infected with the parasite if they come into contact with the feces of an infected cat or eat infected animals. So keeping cats indoors will help reduce this risk.
- Feed your cat canned or dry food. Do not feed your cat raw or undercooked meat. Cat food contaminated with parasites can make cats sick.
- Do not touch feral cats, especially kittens.
- Do not adopt a cat without a clear medical history.
- Do not clean the cat litter box if you are pregnant. Have someone else do it for you. If you must clean the cat litter box, you should wear disposable gloves, a mask, and wash your hands immediately afterwards. Daily cleaning is recommended as fecal parasites usually need 1-5 days to become contagious.
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This article was co-written by Chris M. Matsko, MD. Dr. Matsko is a retired physician with offices in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was awarded the University of Pittsburgh Cornell’s Distinguished Leadership Award. He received his PhD from Temple University School of Medicine in 2007. He holds a Research Diploma from AMWA in 2016 and a Medical Content Writing & Editorial Certificate from the University of Chicago in 2017.
There are 13 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 4,429 times.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite is a single-celled organism that is susceptible to infection by eating infected meat, dairy products, or by contact with the feces of cats carrying the parasite. Most people with the disease do not notice any symptoms because the healthy immune system is fighting the parasites on its own. However, Toxoplasmosis is very dangerous for fetuses, newborns and people with weakened immune systems. [1] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
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