Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite
In Australia, primary infection with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy is rare Gilbert 2002 although it is estimated that between 60% and 80% of Australians are non-immune (Pappas et al 2009).
Once infected, a person carries Toxoplasma for life. So far, we don't have a drug that can eradicate the parasite from the body. And there is no vaccine approved for use in humans. Across the world, it's estimated 30–50% of people are infected with Toxoplasma — and infections may be increasing in Australia.
How common is toxoplasmosis during pregnancy? The chances of getting toxoplasmosis for the first time during pregnancy are thought to be very small. Even if you do become infected for the first time during pregnancy, this doesn't necessarily mean your baby is in danger.
Nearly one-third of the 7.25 billion people on earth, including an estimated 60 million people in the United States, are chronically infected with the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii.
Toxoplasmosis is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. In the United States it is estimated that 11% of the population 6 years and older have been infected with Toxoplasma. In various places throughout the world, it has been shown that more than 60% of some populations have been infected with Toxoplasma.
Of all babies born, between one in 10,000 and one in 30,000 are born with congenital toxoplasmosis . The risk to your baby depends on when you were infected with toxoplasma. It's more likely to spread to your baby later in pregnancy.
The later in your pregnancy that you get infected (third trimester), the more likely it is that your baby will also get infected. But the earlier in pregnancy you get infected, the more serious the baby's problems may be after birth. For example, your baby could have damage to the liver, brain and eyes.
Owning a cat does not mean you will be infected with the parasite. It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat because cats usually do not carry the parasite on their fur.
The risk of maternal transmission of the parasite to the fetus during the first trimester of pregnancy (when the baby is most vulnerable) is relatively low, at 15 to 20 percent. However, by the third trimester, a pregnant woman with toxoplasmosis has a 60 percent chance of infecting her child.
In 2015, 273 confirmed cases of congenital toxoplasmosis were reported by 21 EU/EEA countries (Table 1, Figure 1). France accounted for 90.1% of all cases, followed by Poland (5.5%) and the United Kingdom (2.6%).
The Toxoplasma parasite can persist for long periods of time in the bodies of humans (and other animals), possibly even for a lifetime. Of those who are infected however, very few have symptoms because a healthy person's immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness.
At times these parasites can even pose a greater threat to our bodies because many of them carry diseases. It is estimated that around 80% of both adults and children have parasites in their gut. People can be infected with these parasites in a number of ways. The most common route is through the faecal oral route.
If you're pregnant or planning to have a baby and are worried that you may have toxoplasmosis, ask your doctor about getting tested. Routine testing is not recommended for most women. After you have had the infection, you're usually immune and can't get it again or pass it on to your baby.
The main host in Australia is the domestic cat. Cats acquire the infection mainly through eating small infected mammals, including rodents and birds, and rarely from the ingestion of infected cat faeces.
If you become infected before you get pregnant, there will be a period of days to weeks where the microbe is active in your body and your immune system will have time to react against it. Once you have become immune, you be immune for the rest of your life.
The prevalence of oocyst shedding in cats is very low (0-1%), even though at least 15-40% of cats have been infected with Toxoplasma at some point. This means very few cats at any one time are actually able to pass their infection on to people.
The CDC says your cat isn't the greatest threat
It's unlikely that your cat will give you toxoplasmosis. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "people are more likely to get [toxoplasmosis] from eating raw meat or from gardening."
The most common symptoms of toxoplasmosis include fever, loss of appetite, and lethargy. Other symptoms may occur depending upon whether the infection is acute or chronic, and the location of the parasite in the body.
Toxoplasmosis deaths accounted for 0.08% (188/247,976) of the total deaths recorded. The age-standardized mortality rate per 100,000 population increased from 0.11 in 2006 to 0.79 in 2015. Most deaths due to toxoplasmosis affected the adult age category.
Pregnant women should, when possible, have someone else clean their cat's litter box. That's because cats can have an infection called toxoplasmosis (tok-so-plaz-MOE-sis). Usually, cats catch it outdoors by eating rodents, birds, or other small animals.
People at risk include those living with HIV/AIDS, people receiving cancer treatment and people with a transplanted organ. In addition to serious eye disease, toxoplasmosis can cause severe lung or brain disease for a person with weakened immunity. Rarely, the infection can show up in other tissues throughout the body.
Toxoplasma gondii is a microscopic parasite that people carry for life if infected. Scientists say because of the infection rate, many believe that it is the most infectious parasite on the planet.
The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was 16.1%.