Toxoplasmosis
From ChildWiki.com
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by a protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii, named after the African rodent he was found in. This parasite will infect a variety of species and most of the cellular types of the hosts.
Hosts can probably be all animals with warm blood, including humans and pets. Cats are especially important, as they are a definitive host for the parasite.
For adults with a healthy immune system, the infection with this parasite does not pose a great importance, and most cases of toxoplasmosis are usually asymptomatic. Occasionally, some mild symptoms can be observed, like swollen ganglions, which is the most significant clinical manifestation. Other signs are : headaches, nausea, tiredness, muscular pain, sore throat. Severe forms are not present in adults with a healthy immune system.
Children infected with this parasite are usually not severely affected when they are out of the infant months. In fact, many children living in a home with pets will get this infection, which often remain unnoticed. young children, on the other hand, might manifest severe toxoplasmosis, that leads to complications, like encephalitis.
Knowing the conditions in which toxoplasmosis occurs and the treatment for it are extremely important for two categories of persons:
- Immunodeficient adults, those that have cancer, systemic lupus, AIDS, Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Pregnant women that do this disease for the first time during pregnancy. In them, the parasite can be transmitted to the child, causing congenital toxoplasmosis with the most severe consequences.
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[edit] Transmitting to Humans
T. Gondii can be transmitted to humans by three major routes:
- First of all, the human can get infected by consuming raw meat or meat that is not properly prepared, especially pork, sheep meat and wild meat, or by aliments that are not well prepared and that came in contact with raw meat.
- Secondly, the humans can swallow eggs that cats have eliminated through feces, or by gardening, eating fruits and vegetables that were not properly washed or drinking unfiltered water.
[edit] Toxoplasmosis in Pregnant Women
It has been appreciated that the chances of a female at a fertile age to come in contact with the parasite are somewhere between 25% and 99%(25% in Paris, 47% in Brussels, 75% in Western Scotland, 85% in the USA, and 99% in Oslo). The general environment risk for a woman to do an acute infection with this parasite during pregnancy is between 20% to 50%. These differences appear due to different social classes or geographical locations. In case the woman gets the parasite during pregnancy, the fetus will be infected with congenital toxoplasmosis with deadly or severe consequences.
[edit] How to Avoid Toxoplasma gondii
- To prevent toxoplasmosis and other diseases generated by aliments, food should be prepared at a temperature that is higher than 63-71 degrees Celsius. When heating an aliment, the heat must land uniformly on it. An especial attention needs to be given to low power microwave ovens.
- Fruits and vegetables must be washed very well before using them.
- Tables on which meat is cut, cooking surfaces, dishes and hands will be washed with warm water and detergent after coming in contact with raw meat or with unwashed fruits and vegetables. Knives that were used to cut meat must not be used to cut other aliments before washing.
- Raw meat should never be tasted.
- Pregnant women should wear gloves when they work in the garden or come in contact with dirt or sand, because those might be infected with feline feces. After activities that involve this type of contact, hands must be washed properly.
- When possible, pregnant women should avoid cleaning cat cradles. If no one is available to replace the sand in them, they will wear gloves. this boxes will be emptied every day. Pet cats will be kept only indoors, and fed only with dry food, conserved food or food prepared at high temperatures. Pregnant women will not adopt stray cats.
