How to avoid Toxoplasma gondii infection

Toxoplasmosis is more common in cats with suppressed immune systems, including young cats and cats infected with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).
Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a tiny single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Clinical signs in cats. Most cats infected with Toxoplasma gondii do not show signs of illness.
However, sometimes a clinical condition called toxoplasmosis occurs, usually when the cat’s immune response fails to prevent transmission. The disease is more common in cats with suppressed immune systems, including young kittens and cats carrying feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).
The most common symptoms of toxoplasmosis are fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. Other symptoms may appear depending on whether the infestation started suddenly or persists, and where the parasite is located in the body.
In the lungs, Toxoplasma infection can lead to pneumonia, which makes breathing difficult and progressively worse. Infections that affect the liver can cause a yellowish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes (jaundice).
Toxoplasmosis also affects the eyes and central nervous system (brain and spine) and can cause a variety of eye and neurological symptoms. Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis is usually made based on the cat’s medical history, signs of illness, and laboratory results.
The need for laboratory testing of animal diseases, especially those that can affect humans (zoonotic), further emphasizes the need for appropriate local conditions.
• Consuming food, drinking water, or accidentally ingesting soil contaminated with infected cat feces.
• Eating raw or undercooked meat from animals infected with Toxoplasma gondii (especially pigs, lamb or game).
• A pregnant woman can pass the infection directly to her unborn child if the mother is infected with Toxoplasma gondii before or during pregnancy. To protect yourself and others from toxoplasmosis, you can take several steps:
• Change the litter box daily. It takes more than a day for Toxoplasma to become infectious. Especially if you have kittens, younger cats are more likely to shed Toxoplasma gondii in their feces.
• If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system, have someone change the litter box. If this is not possible, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
• Wear gloves or use appropriate gardening tools when gardening. Afterwards, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
• Don’t eat undercooked meat. Cook whole cuts of meat to at least 145°F (63°C) and rest for three minutes, and cook ground meat and game to at least 160°F (71°C).
• Wash all kitchen utensils (such as knives and cutting boards) that have come into contact with raw meat.
• If you have a weak immune system, be sure to talk to your doctor about getting a blood test to determine if you are infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
You are unlikely to contract the parasite from handling an infected cat, as cats do not usually carry parasites on their fur.
Additionally, cats kept indoors (not hunted or fed raw meat) are less likely to become infected with Toxoplasma gondii.