Pet ownership benefits our physical and mental health in many ways. However, having pets is also associated with some health risks. While it\u2019s possible to \u201ccatch\u201d certain diseases \u2014 called zoonotic diseases \u2014 from your pet, you can take steps to reduce your risk if you understand how an infection might occur.<\/p>\n
One potentially zoonotic disease associated with cat ownership is toxoplasmosis. Read on to learn more about this condition and how it may affect your cat and you.<\/p>\n
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii<\/em> (T. gondii<\/em>). This microscopic parasite is found worldwide and is capable of infecting most animals, including people and birds. However, only cats (both domesticated and wild) are definitive hosts, meaning that the parasite completes its life cycle in cats. Dogs, people and birds are intermediate hosts that can become infected, but in these hosts the parasite can\u2019t produce oocysts, which are thick-walled, egg-like structures.<\/p>\n The percentage of U.S. cats exposed to T. gondii<\/em>, as determined by blood testing, ranges from 18 to 80 percent<\/a> and varies by location and climate. Cats living in warm, humid areas of the country are more likely to test positive for exposure to the parasite.<\/p>\n Cats become infected with Toxoplasma gondii<\/em> by eating rodents and birds that have immature parasites in their muscles or organs. When a cat eats infected prey, the immature parasites become active, multiplying and maturing in the wall of the cat\u2019s small intestine. Mature parasites then reproduce, shedding oocysts into the cat\u2019s stool.<\/p>\n The first time a cat is infected by T. gondii<\/em>, their stools can contain millions of oocysts over a two-week period. Additional shedding of parasite oocysts is unlikely, unless the cat\u2019s immune system is suppressed or compromised. If another animal or bird accidentally eats parasite-containing stool, they\u2019ll become infected.<\/p>\n Most cats who have been infected with T. gondii<\/em> won\u2019t have any symptoms or signs of disease. However, if clinical signs of disease \u2014 toxoplasmosis \u2014 occur, it\u2019s usually because a cat\u2019s immune system isn\u2019t working properly and is unable to keep the parasite in check.<\/p>\n According to information from the Cornell Feline Health Center<\/a>, the most common signs of toxoplasmosis in cats are:<\/p>\n Other symptoms may be seen depending on whether the infection is acute or chronic and where the parasite is located in the body.<\/p>\n Your veterinarian can diagnose toxoplasmosis based on your cat\u2019s history, signs of illness and the results of lab tests (typically measurement of antibodies to the parasite). Looking for oocysts in your cat\u2019s stool isn\u2019t a reliable way of diagnosing the condition \u2014 unlike other common cat parasites \u2014 because cats often aren\u2019t shedding oocysts when they\u2019re showing signs of toxoplasmosis.<\/p>\n Keeping your cat indoors and preventing them from hunting and eating rodents and birds will reduce your cat\u2019s risk of infection with Toxoplasma gondii<\/em>. You should also avoid feeding raw or undercooked meat to your cat since raw meat \u2014 especially lamb, free-range chicken, pasture-raised pork or wild game \u2014 may contain immature Toxoplasma<\/em> parasites.<\/p>\n The good news is that owning a cat doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ll be infected with Toxoplasma<\/em>. The risk of \u201ccatching\u201d T. gondii<\/em> from your cat is relatively small because an infected cat only sheds the parasite for a few days during their entire life. In addition, oocysts in cat feces require one to five days before they\u2019re able to infect another animal, person or bird. If you\u2019re scooping your feline friend\u2019s litter box daily and washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterward, you can further reduce your risk.<\/p>\n According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), handling or consuming undercooked or raw meat, especially pork, is the most common T. gondii<\/em> infection route<\/a> in North America. Drinking untreated water contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii<\/em> can also result in infection.<\/p>\n In healthy people, Toxoplasma gondii<\/em> infection may not cause any symptoms, although some may develop flu-like symptoms such as muscle aches or pains and swollen lymph nodes. However, women who are infected with Toxoplasma<\/em> during pregnancy and anyone with a weakened immune system should be aware that toxoplasmosis can have severe consequences.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned about your risk for toxoplasmosis, be sure to talk with your physician. A blood test can diagnose if you\u2019ve been exposed to the parasite.<\/p>\n If you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, you should discuss your risk of toxoplasmosis with your physician. The following steps can be taken to limit your exposure to T. gondii<\/em>:<\/p>\n Toxoplasma gondii<\/em> is only one parasite that can cause disease in pet owners. To learn more about the parasites of dogs and cats, check out the websites of the CDC<\/a> and Companion Animal Parasite Council<\/a> or speak to your veterinarian.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Pet ownership benefits our physical and mental health in many ways. However, having pets is also associated with some health risks. While it\u2019s possible to \u201ccatch\u201d certain diseases \u2014 called zoonotic diseases \u2014 from your pet, you can take steps to reduce your risk if you understand how an infection might occur. One potentially zoonotic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5182,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Pet ownership benefits our physical and mental health in many ways. However, having pets is also associated with some health risks. While it's possible to \"catch\" certain diseases \u2014 called zoonotic diseases \u2014 from your pet, you can take steps to reduce your risk if you understand how an infection works.","_seopress_robots_index":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[291,28],"tags":[100,11,84],"class_list":["post-3256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conditions","category-health","tag-cat","tag-health","tag-parasites"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3256"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3256\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diamondpet.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How do cats get it?<\/h3>\n
What are the signs and symptoms of toxoplasmosis?<\/h3>\n
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How will you know if your cat is infected?<\/h3>\n
How can you protect your cat from Toxoplasma<\/em>?<\/h3>\n
Can you get toxoplasmosis from your cat?<\/h3>\n
How does Toxoplasma<\/em> affect people?<\/h3>\n
How can you reduce your risk of toxoplasmosis?<\/h3>\n
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