:+: Woman + Cats + Toxoplasma gondii :+:

DO U HAVE CATS AT HOME...

LOVE YOUR CATS?
LOVE YOURSELF?
PROTECT YOUR FETUS...

What is Toxoplasma godii??

Toxoplasma gondii is a species of parasitic protozoa in the genus Toxoplasma.The definitive host of T. gondii is the cat, but the parasite can be carried by all known mammals. Toxoplasmosis, the disease of which T. gondii is the causative agent, is usually minor and self-limiting but can have serious or even fatal effects on a fetus whose mother first contracts the disease during pregnancy or on an immunocompromised human or cat.

How is T. gondii transmitted?

Cats are the only primary hosts of T. gondii; they are the only mammals in which Toxoplasma is passed through the feces. In the cat, the reproductive form of T. gondii lives in the intestine and the oocysts (egg-like immature forms) exit the body in the feces. When a cat eats an infected intermediate prey (or part of a larger animal, e.g., a pig), the parasite is released in the cat's intestine and the life cycle can be repeated.

Does T. gondii cause disease in pets?

T. gondii can cause disease in cats and dogs; it is more frequently recognized in cats. The signs of toxoplasmosis in pets are nonspecific: fever, loss of appetite, depression. Further signs may occur depending on whether the infection is acute or chronic, and where T. gondii is found in the body. In the eye, it can cause inflammation; in the lungs, pneumonia; in the heart, arrhythmias; in the digestive tract, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and jaundice; in the nervous system, seizures, paralysis and loss of nerve function; in muscle, a stiff gait and loss of muscle. Kittens may be born stillborn or ill.

What are the signs and symptoms of toxoplasmosis in humans?

Humans can become infected either in utero, or by accidental ingestion of the oocysts. If T. gondii passes through the uterus of an infected pregnant woman to her fetus early in the pregnancy, spontaneous abortion is common. If the infection occurs later in pregnancy (10-24 weeks of gestation) the infant may have serious or fatal congenital defects including hydrocephalus, blindness, and mental retardation. Most infected pregnant women do not have symptoms. Approximately 60% of infected pregnant women will pass the infection to their fetus.

People infected through ingestion of oocysts may be listless and have fever, enlarged lymph nodes and less commonly, inflammation of the heart.

Diagnosis is generally made through serologic (blood) testing


Do's and Don'ts for the prevention of toxoplasmosis

• Do not eat raw or undercooked meat. Meat should be cooked to a temperature of at least 160°F for 20 minutes.
• Do not drink unpasteurized milk.
• Do not eat unwashed fruits and vegetables.
• Wash hands and food preparation surfaces with warm soapy water after handling raw meat.
• Wear gloves when gardening. Wash hands after gardening..
• Keep children’s sandboxes and playpens covered.
• Do not drink water from the environment unless it is boiled.
• Do not feed raw meat or undercooked meat to cats. Also do not give them unpasteurized milk.
• Do not allow cats to hunt or roam.
• Do not allow cats to use a garden or children’s play area as their litter box.
• Remove feces from the litter box daily and clean with boiling or scalding water.
• Control rodent populations and other potential intermediate hosts.
• Pregnant women, and persons with suppressed immune systems, should not clean the litter box.

*Pregnant women, and those planning to conceive, should check with their physicians to determine if they should be tested for exposure to T. gondii.

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Untuk yang malas nak bace atau tak faham sangat article kat atas tu, I buat summary in Bahasa Melayu rojak k?

Bendalah toxoplasma ni from tanah, fruits yang tak basuh tol2, and animals, especially kucing. Kucing dapat dari sniffing tahi sendiri atau makan tikus yang dah infected. So bile korunk bersihkan tinja kucing korunk, make sure cuci tangan pastu.


Tapi toxoplasma gondii ni pun bley merebak dari udara jugak.
toxoplasma dari taik kucing + bulu kucing = terbang kat udara + masuk mulut manusia


Bila bendalah ni masuk badan manusia,
1) Perempuan yang mengandung boleh mengalami keguguran
2) Perempuan yang nak ada anak, susah nak mengandung
3) Lelaki atau pompuan yang terinfected, bila toxoplasma dah sampai ke otak, melalui pembuluh darah, beliau akan jadi bodoh. Lebih kurang macam patrick starfish , kawan spongebob tu la. haha.. hrm... key bukan la bodoh camtu tapi lembab la.

Tapi don't worry, ada obat to cure this. But still prevention is the best solution! Hidup Medik!