fully cooking meat and checking internal temperature with a food thermometer (pork, lamb, venison)

wash hands after handling raw meat, fruits, and veggies

wash all fruits and veggies (peeling can help reduce risk)

do not drink unpasteurized milk or untreated water

do not touch cat feces without gloves and always wash hands immediately after cleaning

wear gloves when in contact with soil or sand when gardening and wash hands

do not pet stray cats and kittens (wash hands if you do)

blood transfusion or organ transplant

practicing safe sex as the infection can be passed to a partner during unprotected sex

Toxoplasmosis CDC

Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart for Cooking

How to Use a Food Thermometer USDAFoodSafety Video

Proper hand washing: Step-by-step guide

Toxoplasmosis in Cats

Congenital Toxoplasmosis ScienceDirect

Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy PubMed

Toxoplasmosis NIH

The Important Role of Laboratories in the Diagnosis and Prevention of Toxoplasma Infection

Role of Toxoplasma gondii IgG Avidity Testing in Discriminating between Acute and Chronic Toxoplasmosis in Pregnancy

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

ULTRASOUND IN TOXOPLASMOSIS

most newborns have mild symptoms but develop learning disabilities later in life

stillbirth or premature birth

congenital toxoplasmosis (immediately after birth or during the first few weeks)

• fever, malaise, vomiting and diarrhea, lymphadenopathy (abnormal size or consistency of lymph nodes), hepatosplenomegaly (swelling and enlargement of the liver and spleen), microphthalmia (small eyes), cataracts, microcephaly (head is smaller than expected), pneumonitis, bleeding diathesis (bleeds or bruises easily), and seizures

• classic triad = chorioretinitis (inflammation in the eyes), hydrocephalus (abnormal fluid buildup within the brain), and intracranial calcifications (calcium deposits within the brain or its blood vessels)

up to 80% develop visual or learning disabilities later in life

skin rashes and lesions

IgM and IgG antibody testing from blood can show current or previous infection in the mother but can be difficult to interpret

• IgM antibodies can be detected from 5 days to their peak at 1 - 2 months declining rapidly after and can stay in the body for years at low levels

• IgG antibodies can be detected from 1 - 2 weeks, peak within 12 weeks to 6 months (remain detectable throughout life)

• no antibodies = no previous/current infection

• only IgG = old infection

• if both = it is recommended to retest within 2 - 3 weeks and if IgG antibodies increase 4x between tests that indicates a very recent infection

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) copies a specific segment of DNA and makes millions of copies to make it easier to detect and study

• only done if the mother has a current infection, if tests are inconclusive, or if an ultrasound shows features of congenital toxoplasmosis

• this test should be done after 18 weeks gestation and at least 4 weeks after suspected infection to prevent a false-negative result

This should be advertised to anyone considering having a child, individuals at risk of becoming/getting someone pregnant, those who are already pregnant, or those who have intimate physical contact with someone pregnant.

This should be advertised where many people in this group will see it, like at colleges, pharmacies, any medical offices, and online on pages about pregnancy.

It's important to make this information accessible because of how common this teratogen is and how severe the effects can be.

Don't Risk the Tox, Stay Clean, Cook, and Box

• Clean - washing hands often and well

• Cook - cooking food to recommended temps

• Box - cleaning the litter box daily to prevent infection

individuals with healthy immune systems may not experience any symptoms or just mild flu-like symptoms like fever, headache, muscle pain, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes)

up to 1/3 of the world's population is infected with Toxoplasma gondii!