In plain words
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, an infection most people never notice. Cats are the animals that shed it in their feces, which is why the parasite is often linked to pets. Studies of cat ownership as a risk have given mixed results. Most infections are traced to undercooked or raw meat and to soil that has been contaminated, such as gardens and sandboxes, and cat litter can carry it too. Infection during pregnancy can, rarely, pass to the baby. Cooking meat well and washing produce are the standard food safety steps in guidance. Testing is available, and providers differ on when it is used.
The deeper version
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan whose definitive hosts are felids; shed in feces sporulate in soil. Human transmission occurs through ingestion of undercooked meat containing tissue cysts, or oocysts from contaminated soil, produce, or water. Findings on cat ownership as a risk factor are mixed, and diet and soil contact are more consistent exposures. Congenital transmission rises with gestational age, while severity of fetal disease is greatest with first-trimester infection. Serologic screening in pregnancy is practiced in some countries and not others, and its benefit is debated.
Where it comes up
- Food safety: listeria, mercury, raw foodsPregnancy: Eating
- Pets, litter boxes, and pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
What mothers here say about Toxoplasma gondii
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Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Toxoplasmosis information for pregnant people and clinicians