What is toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite that can infect many animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, molluscs) and can be transmitted from one animal to another (through soil contaminated with feces of infected animals or ingestion of infected meat) .
What does it entail if contracted during pregnancy?
Toxoplasma infection if contracted during pregnancy can cause spontaneous termination of pregnancy or damage to the nervous system of the fetus (hydrocephalus, mental retardation, epilepsy, impaired vision). (Also Read: Toxoplasmosis in Pregnancy, 7 Things to Know)
How can a woman become infected and what precautions can she take to avoid it?
A study that involved several centers in Europe, including two Del Paeseni centers (one in Madrid and one in our city), published in the British Medical Journal in 2000, indicates among the the main sources of infection in pregnant women is the consumption of undercooked meat.
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Pregnancy: foods allowed and prohibited in the nine months
go to the galleryDuring pregnancy, the expectant mother should take the opportunity to change her lifestyle and diet. What are the prohibited foods in the nine months? Raw milk, eggs, meat and fish. Fruit and ...
In fact, the results show that the main risk factors are related to food (from 30 to 63% of cases due to the intake of undercooked meat). It is therefore necessary to avoid tasting the meat while it is being prepared and to wash your hands very well under running water after having touched it.
Read also: toxoplasmosis, 7 things to knowThe same study highlights that another important source of contamination is represented by land manipulation of vegetable gardens and gardens, where infected animals may have defecated. It is therefore necessary that those who carry out gardening activities wash their hands very well before touching their mouth or the mucous membrane of the eyes.
The same goes for the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruit, which must be washed thoroughly.
Soaking in bicarbonate or amuchina can facilitate washing operations but does not devitalize the parasite, therefore the subsequent rinsing phase under running water is of fundamental importance.
Finally, in recent years it has reduced attention towards the cat as a carrier of the disease, particularly if it is a domestic cat, fed with canned products and whose litter is changed every day (the parasite's cysts hatch after three days at room temperature and high humidity). The real reservoir of toxoplasmosis is represented by stray cats, which become infected by hunting contaminated birds and mice, and which can defecate in the ground releasing Toxoplasma even for several weeks. (Read also: cats and pregnancy, a myth to dispel).
Watch also the video: nutrition during pregnancy, the foods to avoid
From mammenellarete, the story: Pregnancy and cats: my life companions, from the positive test onwardsThe thing that bothered me most was not the pregnancy, it was the after: how would the undisputed owners of our 60 square meters react to the arrival of a small, screaming creature that smelled of rancid milk? The action plan was simple; Gaia, as soon as she entered the house, would be offered as a tribal sacrifice to our cats. She continues ...
Updated on 09.10.2022
TAG:- toxoplasmosis
- pregnancy feeding
- infections
