Are cats harmful for pregnant women? Pets and pregnancy

Is it possible to get toxoplasmosis from pets and how dangerous is this disease during pregnancy?

Is a cat a friend or a danger for a pregnant woman? © Shutterstock

Often, a doctor suggests that a pregnant woman get rid of her cat in order to prevent infection and the birth of a child with congenital pathologies. Is the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis really that great?

What is toxoplasmosis and how can you get it?

Toxoplasma is found in the feces of cats (as well as related wild animals). Through contaminated soil, toxoplasma feed enters the body of other animals, including cows, whose meat is then consumed. Mice and rats are also infected with toxoplasmosis.

A cat can become infected with toxoplasmosis in two ways - if it eats contaminated food: meat or rodent. In the city, the main source of toxoplasma is street cats. Domestic cats can also become infected with toxoplasmosis through outdoor dust and dirt.

A sick cat coughs and sneezes, breathes rapidly, her eyes are red, with purulent discharge. Muscle tremors, emaciation, drooling are possible; the animal’s liver is affected - jaundice, vomiting, and severe diarrhea may develop.

They say that the latent form of toxoplasmosis in cats is dangerous for people. But this is not true; chronic cat toxoplasmosis is not contagious to its owners, since the cat does not excrete toxoplasma.

The main sources of infection for people are the same as for animals - soil contaminated with Toxoplasma, street dust, and meat. So a poorly fried kebab is more dangerous than a domestic cat.

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy

At first, toxoplasmosis is similar to a viral cold. Toxoplasmosis then progresses to chronic stage. Chronic toxoplasmosis develops into acute illness in case of weakened immune system.

Unfortunately, in humans, Toxoplasma most often affects nervous system.

Toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous during pregnancy or before conception.

Toxoplasmosis is transmitted through the placenta to the baby, which can lead to severe congenital pathologies.

10% of children develop hearing diseases and mental retardation.

Toxoplasmosis is manifested by enlarged liver and spleen, jaundice, eye infections, pneumonia, etc. Some children die a few days after birth. Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can also cause miscarriage or stillbirth.

Although toxoplasmosis is not that common. According to American statistics, about 0.1% of women become infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy.

How is toxoplasmosis diagnosed and treated during pregnancy?

If there are immunoglobulin G antibodies in the blood, it means the infection occurred in the past.

If a pregnant woman has an active toxoplasma infection, the doctor will order amniocentesis and ultrasound diagnostics to determine whether the fetus is infected.

If the fetus is infected, the pregnant woman will be prescribed treatment that will protect the baby from pathologies.

Precautions to avoid contracting toxoplasmosis

Don't clean the cat's litter box; let someone else do it.

Do not feed your cat raw or undercooked meat, as about 25% of the meat sold is contaminated with toxoplasmosis. It is better to feed frozen meat, toxoplasma die within 2-3 days at temperatures below -25 degrees.

Do not eat raw or undercooked meat, and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands.

In humans, the disease in most cases is asymptomatic or manifests itself as follows: nonspecific symptoms like fatigue slight increase temperature, headache, enlarged lymph nodes (most often cervical and occipital). However similar phenomena may be signs common cold, therefore, in most cases, the infection goes unnoticed, and the person does not even suspect that he has had this disease.

In severe cases, the disease is accompanied by fever, joint and muscle pain and a blotchy rash. The most dangerous is damage to the nervous system by toxoplasmosis (development of meningoencephalitis). The acute form of toxoplasmosis is most often observed in people with immunodeficiency (for example, with HIV infection).

If a cat is infected with toxoplasmosis for the first time, it may experience increased The lymph nodes, at acute form There may be nasal discharge, redness of the eyes, and short-term diarrhea. However, in most cases, cats with toxoplasmosis are also asymptomatic.

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy

Many people have heard about the dangers of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. Hence the advice to throw the cat out of the house, and panic from any scratch. However, not everything is so scary.

The risk to the fetus is only the primary infection of the mother with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. That is, if you had it a long time ago, it will not have any effect on the fetus. Moreover, even with primary infection, the risk of infection of the fetus is not 100%. In the first trimester, the risk of infection if the mother becomes ill is 15-20%, in the second - 30%, in the third - 60%. However, although the risk of infection increases with pregnancy, the severity clinical manifestations decreases.

When infected with toxoplasmosis in the first trimester, in most cases the child experiences developmental defects incompatible with life, and when infected at the end of pregnancy, severe clinical symptoms may be absent altogether. If infection occurs before 24 weeks, termination of pregnancy is recommended. If a woman refuses it, treatment is possible.

After the initial infection with toxoplasmosis, you can plan a pregnancy after six months.

How does toxoplasmosis become infected?

Human infection occurs either by eating the meat of infected animals, or when feces of an infected cat enter the human body (most often with street dust or soil).

In general, as sad as it may be, cat excrement Toxoplasma infections surround us everywhere, and it is extremely difficult to protect ourselves from the disease. But this also has its advantages: most women, even before pregnancy, hidden form have recovered from toxoplasmosis, have immunity, and now, even while expecting a baby, no cats are afraid of them.

It is worth noting that fresh feces are not contagious. To acquire the ability to infect, the pathogen needs to mature in the external environment. Therefore, fresh cat feces are not dangerous. If you clean your cat's litter box right away and wash it clean with soap (rather than just throwing the poop into the toilet), then you won't get infected this way.

The cat itself becomes infected with toxoplasmosis by eating infected mice and birds, raw pork or lamb, kindly offered by the owner. Veterinarians believe that most cats that have ever walked outside are infected with toxoplasmosis. The main source and spreader of toxoplasmosis are cats walking on their own, eating rats and pooping in children's sandboxes and gardens. It is from such walkers that our decent domestic cats can become infected (for example, by eating grass near which a “bad” cat has made a toilet).

Only cats that have contracted toxoplasmosis within the last three weeks are contagious. But it is worth remembering that a cat can be contagious for some time and with each new infection. However, in defense of cats, I would like to say that infection rarely occurs directly from a sick animal. The main source still remains undercooked meat and street dust. If cat feces gets into external environment The pathogen remains active for up to two years.

Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis

When planning a pregnancy, it is important for the doctor not only to determine the presence of infection in the body, but also to determine whether it is fresh or old. For this purpose, immunoglobulins of class M and G (IgM and IgG) are determined in the blood.

If IgM is detected but IgG is not, this is the most unfavorable situation, as it indicates that the infection occurred recently.

If both IgM and IgG are present, it means that the infection occurred within a year (in this case, it is recommended to repeat the study after 3 weeks. An increase in IgG indicates an acute process).

The most common situation is that there is IgG, but no IgM. This suggests that there was some contact with the infection in the past, but it does not pose a danger now because you have immunity.

If immunoglobulins are not detected at all, then you are not immune to toxoplasmosis, and you should take all precautions to avoid contracting it during pregnancy.

To diagnose toxoplasmosis, blood PCR is sometimes prescribed. Diagnostics using the PCR method is quite accurate, but its disadvantage is that it does not indicate how old the infection was.

In order to accurately determine whether the fetus is infected (if a primary infection is detected in the mother), it is recommended to study the amniotic fluid by amniocentesis (pierced with a thin needle through the anterior abdominal wall). However, it should be remembered that toxoplasma enters the amniotic fluid a month after the mother is infected, so a diagnosis can be made to the fetus only after this period.

An ultrasound scan of an infected fetus can reveal enlarged liver and spleen, dilation of the ventricles of the brain, and intracranial calcifications. The placenta may be thickened, and calcifications may also be detected in it.

In some cases, the doctor, even after learning that a cat has been living in your house for many years, may not refer you for testing. The fact is that cat owners in 90% of cases have immunity to toxoplasmosis (the longer a cat lives, the greater the likelihood of immunity). Therefore, if the doctor, on the contrary, begins to insist that you part with the cat, which has been living in your house for 5 years and is a family member, then it will be easier to part with the doctor.

Treatment of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy

Treatment is carried out only for primary infection!

Drugs that affect toxoplasma can only be used after 12 weeks of pregnancy (some only after 16 weeks), since they themselves can have a harmful effect on the fetus. Usually the pathogen is not completely destroyed; treatment is aimed mainly at reducing its activity.

Newborns who are infected with the mother and subsequently treated must be examined, even in the absence of clinical manifestations.

Prevention of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women

Prevention of toxoplasmosis is most important during pregnancy, especially for women who have never encountered toxoplasma before and do not have immunity to it.

• When working in the garden, wear gloves to prevent soil from getting on your skin. There may be microcracks on the skin, and toxoplasma in the soil. Wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly.
• It is also better to use gloves when cutting raw meat. at least, after this you need to wash your hands. Fry or boil the meat thoroughly; avoid steaks with blood during pregnancy.
• If you have a cat, assign someone else to clean her litter box, in case there are traces of old feces on the cat bath.
• You should not kiss your beloved pet, since if a cat is acutely infected, toxoplasma can be released in her saliva and nasal discharge.
• You can have your cat's feces tested to determine if she is infected with toxoplasmosis. If your cat turns out to be so clean that she has never encountered toxoplasmosis, then it is necessary to protect her from the disease in the future (at least during your pregnancy): do not feed her raw meat, do not allow her to communicate with her relatives, and do not let her go outside.

Comment on the article "Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: not as scary as it is made out to be..."

Infection with toxoplasmosis, the danger of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, diagnosis and treatment. Question about toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: not as scary as it is made out to be... Moreover, even with primary infection, the risk of infection...

Well, there are symptoms. What will make them easier? The most Great chance you can get infected not through raw meat, but from a cat. Retake the tests in a week. And here are the symptoms themselves: Acute acquired toxoplasmosis can occur either as a disease resembling typhus, with...

Toxoplasmosis for a child is dangerous only at the stage primary infection. If the infection occurred BEFORE pregnancy (and most likely it did), there is no risk! A lot of antibodies is good immunity, since you don’t get sick with tox more than once.

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: not as scary as it is made out to be... The danger of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, test for toxoplasmosis. Drugs that affect toxoplasma can only be used after 12 weeks of pregnancy...

Also about toxoplasmosis! Mlyn, I read the thread below (and FAQ) and everything became colder:(... my tests showed IgG = 95 IU/ml (positive > 40), IgM = 1.5 UE (positive > 1). Before this, the analysis was not done (only 4 years ago when we were expecting our first one.) The doctor didn’t say anything special except to take us to the center...

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: not as scary as it is made out to be... However, not everything is so scary. The risk to the fetus is only the primary infection of the mother with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. The main source still remains undercooked meat and street dust.

Toxoplasmosis can lead to very severe consequences if the infection occurred during pregnancy. But clinically this is not only cerebral palsy, there are usually many problems with the eyes. Precisely because our child, in addition to cerebral palsy, also has problems with his eyes...

Toxoplasmosis. My daughter is 1 year and 2 months old. The lymph nodes are very inflamed, we can’t get rid of the rashes, we are constantly on a hypoallergenic diet, it’s still on breastfeeding. Contacted to different doctors For this reason, we were tested for various infections...

I'm afraid of toxoplasmosis. Analyzes, studies, tests, ultrasound. Pregnancy and childbirth. Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: not as scary as it is made out to be... That is, if you had it a long time ago, it will not have any effect on the fetus.

Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy. Many people have heard about the dangers of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. Infection with toxoplasmosis, the danger of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, diagnosis and treatment. My test is also negative, which means there are no antibodies.

Treatment begins at 15 weeks of pregnancy. Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy. Many people have heard about the dangers of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. Therefore, pregnant women who have never had toxoplasmosis should avoid any gardening work or use...

Toxoplasmosis. Medical issues. Pregnancy and childbirth. Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy. Many people have heard about the dangers of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. The risk to the fetus is only the primary infection of the mother with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy.

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: not as scary as it is made out to be... After the initial infection with toxoplasmosis, you can plan a pregnancy after six months. When planning a pregnancy, it is important for a doctor not only to determine the presence of infection in...

Toxoplasmosis during pregnancy: not as scary as it is made out to be... Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy. Many people have heard about the dangers of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. In general, sad as it may be, cat excrement with toxoplasma surrounds us everywhere, and to protect yourself from...

Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy. Many people have heard about the dangers of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. Also about toxoplasmosis! Toxoplasma is dangerous mainly in the first trimester and during primary infection. Secondly, she is TREATED during pregnancy.

How to prevent infection with toxoplasmosis? Toxoplasmosis symptoms??? Conference "Pregnancy and childbirth" "Pregnancy and childbirth". Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy. Many people have heard about the dangers of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women.

The myth that domestic cat must be isolated from a pregnant woman, based on the fact that our purring friends are very often carriers of a microorganism dangerous to human health - toxoplasma. However, it does not take into account the possibility that our own body has already had close contact with a dangerous microbe during its life, and therefore did not fail to reliably protect itself from it. To understand this issue, you need to find out what kind of microbe it is that can cause so much trouble to a person and his furry pets.

Is the fear of getting infected from “our little brothers” justified? Can pregnant women keep a cat in the house? Most often, concerns arise about the possibility that the animal is a potential source of the causative agent of toxoplasmosis. Indeed, infection of a woman with this disease during pregnancy is fraught with enormous danger. A miscarriage is not the worst thing that can happen. It's worse if it's born handicapped child, cripple. This really is a disaster for the whole family for life. Considering the unpleasant chance of getting a lot of problems from the proximity of a beloved cat, people are trying in every way to get rid of the animal in the house. But you really shouldn't rush into this. If it were true that infection of pregnant women with toxoplasmosis from pets was such an inevitable and widespread phenomenon, then half of humanity would now be moving in wheelchairs. Fortunately, for the emergence of really dangerous situation For a woman and her future offspring, a fatal confluence of many circumstances is necessary.

Firstly, if your cat has been living with you for a long time and managed to get sick with toxoplasmosis, then, most likely, you yourself suffered from this disease (and its symptoms are very minor, they can easily be attributed to a cold), which means that your body is immune, exclusive reinfection toxoplasma. It is believed that more than half the world's population is infected with this microorganism. For example, in France - about 90%, in America - about 60%, in Russia - about 70%. By the way, toxoplasmosis can be contracted not only from cats. A dangerous microorganism can be introduced into the body when processing raw, infected meat or during gardening work, digging in soil contaminated with microbes. Expectant mothers need to take this into account. As already mentioned, a woman who has recovered from toxoplasmosis acquires immunity, that is, immunity to the disease. This means that the danger for future pregnancy and the offspring are already behind.

Secondly, cats that have suffered toxoplasmosis also acquire active immunity and become non-infectious to others. Thus, that fatal combination of circumstances that can ruin people’s joy of motherhood and fatherhood implies that while the family is waiting for a new addition to the family, their pet “catch” Toxoplasma somewhere, falls ill and infects its owner.

In light of the above facts, such a probability is small, but still exists, and cannot be discounted. To finally decide whether to get rid of a cat, have it examined in veterinary clinic. The appropriate tests must be done at the hospital and by the owner of the animal. If you (and your cat) already have a disease on your back, then move on through life together without parting. If a cat does not have immunity, then it remains at risk of contracting (at the most inopportune moment) toxoplasmosis, and this, as you understand, complicates the matter. To prevent your pet from becoming infected, do not let him go outside, do not feed him raw meat, and do not give him untreated dairy products. heat treatment. Pregnant women should refrain from cleaning cat litter boxes and entrust this to other family members. If this is not possible, then use rubber gloves (preferably disposable ones) when cleaning. Periodically disinfect your cat's litter box with boiling water. And only as a last resort, if it’s really scary, you can ask your relatives to keep the pet in their house until your long-awaited baby is born.

For example, one of the most common ailments is toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. And in most cases, it appears if the expecting parents have a cat in the house. How dangerous is it to come into contact with a cat during pregnancy, how to prevent infection of the expectant mother, and is it worth getting rid of your favorite fluffy ball? Read on to find out what experts think about this.

Doctors often ask pregnant women if they have pets in the house and what kind. And, when mentioning cats, they warn women about the high likelihood of contracting toxoplasmosis, a disease whose consequences can negatively affect the child.

What kind of disease is this and how dangerous is it?

As for the carrier of the disease, a cat can become infected in two ways:

• Through dust, dirt, communication with street cats (for those living in the house).
• Eat an infected mouse/rat or other rodent.

Symptoms of toxoplasmosis in cats

• rapid breathing, which is interrupted by periodic coughing and sneezing of the animal;
• redness of the eyes, which is accompanied by purulent discharge;
• increased salivation;
• possible emaciation and occasional muscle tremors.

If such symptoms do not raise suspicion, the disease develops into a more serious form, during which the pet’s liver begins to be affected. Against this background one can observe frequent vomiting and diarrhea in the animal. He may also begin to develop jaundice.

For people, and especially pregnant women, only toxoplasmosis is dangerous open form, since when the disease is closed, the animal does not release toxoplasma. A person can become infected in the same way as an animal - through contact with contaminated soil or feces. The direct source of toxoplasmosis is raw, not properly processed meat. So during pregnancy, you need to avoid not only contact with contaminated objects and cats, but also deny yourself the pleasure of feasting on poorly cooked kebab or steak.

How do you know if you are sick?

Most likely, it will be possible to detect the presence of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy by taking tests that the doctor prescribes when registering. Typically, to diagnose the disease, a blood test is performed to detect the presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma. As a rule, such tests are prescribed to women who are pregnant, as well as to those who are planning to become pregnant. And, if the results of the blood test indicate the absence of antibodies, this may mean that the woman has weak immunity to Toxoplasma infection and that there is a risk of infection. If the test shows the presence of class G immunoglobulin antibodies in the blood, such a result indicates that the woman had a disease in the past.

When a pregnant woman’s blood is tested and its results show active toxoplasma, it means that she is a carrier of the disease. In such situations, the doctor prescribes other procedures for the pregnant woman in order to determine whether her fetus is infected (this is usually ultrasound diagnostics and amniocentesis).

At the same time, there are signs of the disease that may lead a pregnant woman to believe that she has become a carrier of the toxoplasma virus. In the first few days after infection, a woman may experience all the symptoms of a cold. viral disease. If left unattended, toxoplasmosis can develop into chronic form, which is much more difficult to treat. If female body is a carrier of chronic toxoplasmosis, it can only worsen if the immune system will fail.

It is worth noting that in one of his programs the topic of pregnancy and cats in the house was discussed by the famous pediatrician Komarovsky. And, according to his statements, more than 55% of the adult population of our country (including women) have already had toxoplasmosis. True, in the absence of symptoms or exacerbations, the person might not even be aware of it.

Thus, women carrying a child who have had toxoplasma will already have antibodies in their blood, resisting the disease. This means that during pregnancy she and her baby are not afraid of toxoplasmosis. Considering that a woman could have suffered such a disease immediately after a cat appeared in the house, her pregnancy would not be in danger. Most likely, if the cat is domestic and leads an adequate lifestyle (does not wander through landfills, does not eat rodents), you should not get rid of it during pregnancy, because it will not harm anyone. to the expectant mother, nor her child.

Is it possible to play it safe and avoid infection?

All expectant mothers treat the issue of planning pregnancy and carrying a baby very responsibly. Therefore, the question of how to prevent infection with toxoplasmosis due to a cat in the house is very relevant among pregnant women. Moreover, considering that in the first trimester the probability of catching toxoplasmosis is 20%, and in the last - as much as 60%, and also that there are no home methods for treating this disease (only a special course of therapy in inpatient conditions may eliminate this infection).

Like any other disease, toxoplasmosis is much easier to prevent than to treat later. Therefore, if you are planning to “work” on a child in the near future or are already expecting a new addition to the family, find out what preventive measures will help you avoid infection.

A few simple tricks will help you protect yourself from the disease:

• When cooking meat and, in particular, cutting it, try to use the same board. Wear gloves before handling raw meat. After handling this product, thoroughly wash all tools and utensils involved.
• During cooking, all meat must be thoroughly stewed/fried and cooked a little longer than usual to ensure that all pathogens are killed.
• When doing gardening and floriculture, do not forget about the simplest safety measures - wear thick gloves so that the soil does not get on the skin of your hands. Especially if you have microcracks on them. Toxoplasmosis cells can easily penetrate wounds into the body and cause disease in it.

As for further stay in the house pet, which is the direct source and carrier of the disease, then you should not rush to get rid of it. It is enough to protect yourself from “cat tenderness”. Do not allow your pet to rub against your face or touch the skin of your hands and face with its paws. After any play with your cat, do not forget to wash your hands thoroughly.

Even if some of the toxoplasma is found in the secretions in the animal’s nose and mouth, the bulk of them remain in the cat’s feces. Therefore, cleaning the pet’s toilet with the onset of pregnancy will have to be taken on by a loving husband.

When wondering how to avoid toxoplasmosis, remember that not only cats or cats are carriers of the disease. You can just as easily get an infection from your dog just by walking outside or by not washing your food properly before eating it. Therefore, take care of your health and the health of your child in advance. Find out what precautions will help you with this and allow your little one to be born healthy and happy.

- this is not fur, not bites or scratches, but an infection that furry creatures carry - toxoplasmosis. The disease is caused by microorganisms that parasitize the body of cats, birds, or humans, but the definitive host of the parasite is still the cat.

Signs of toxoplasmosis appear only during primary infection and resemble the symptoms of normal colds. Often toxoplasmosis in humans is asymptomatic.

Toxoplasmosis is not dangerous for people, but infection can cause serious problems for pregnant women. Most to the expectant mother the disease will not harm, but toxoplasmosis is extremely dangerous for the fetus - it affects the fetal nervous system, causes underdevelopment of the brain, and defects of internal organs that are incompatible with life.

The shorter the gestational age at which the infection occurred, the more serious consequences for the fetus. If the expectant mother becomes infected with toxoplasmosis at less than 24 weeks, doctors most often advise terminating the pregnancy.

How to protect yourself from toxoplasmosis

First, you should take tests to find out whether you have been in contact with the causative agent of the disease before - doctors have recently included this test in the examination program for those planning a pregnancy. If, based on the test results, it can be concluded that you have previously been infected with toxoplasmosis, your body is already familiar with the infection, then you are not afraid of re-infection. If it turns out that you do not have immunity, you will have to do everything possible to avoid infection.

If the cat is outside, walks will have to be cancelled. Prohibit the animal from climbing onto the table on which you place food. Do not feed your cat raw meat - it is better to temporarily switch it to dry and canned food. Try to pick up your pet less often and do not let her lick you.

If your cat develops symptoms of illness - nasal discharge, fever, vomiting, diarrhea - contact your veterinarian immediately.

Clean the cat litter immediately - even if the cat excretes toxoplasma cysts in feces, they need some time to mature and get into environment. It is best to entrust the cleaning of the tray to a family member, and if this is not possible, clean it with gloves and immediately wash it with disinfectants.

Wash your hands thoroughly before eating and after returning from the street, put off gardening work. Don't touch raw meat, and before use, be sure to subject it to prolonged heat treatment.