I. What is the route of human infection with Toxoplasma gondii?
The reason why many pet owners want to send their pets away when someone is pregnant at home is that pets can carry parasites, especially Toxoplasma gondii, because once pregnant women are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, they are likely to It can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, and fetal malformations. But is Toxoplasma really as scary as we know it to be?
Some data show that Toxoplasma gondii infection is very common around the world, but the proportion of Toxoplasma gondii infection is much higher than the proportion of pet owners, which means that even if you don’t keep pets, there is Toxoplasma infection risks of. This is mainly because the infection route of Toxoplasma gondii is that people eat the meat of animals that have been infected by it. The more common meats in the home are chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep and pigs. The probability of carrying Toxoplasma in these animals is no smaller than that of cats and dogs. Therefore, there is no direct relationship between infection with Toxoplasma gondii and pets.
Two, pregnant women at home really can’t keep pets?
The infection of Toxoplasma gondii in ordinary adults will not cause health effects, unless it is acute Toxoplasma gondii, which requires treatment. The harm of Toxoplasma gondii infection is mainly aimed at pregnant women and couples who are planning to become pregnant, but pregnant women can only cause fetal malformations when they are infected with Toxoplasma gondii for the first time during pregnancy, and the probability of such serious consequences is not large. If a pregnant woman has been infected with Toxoplasma gondii before pregnancy, the corresponding antibodies will also be produced in the body, and it will not be infected again after pregnancy. So, pre-pregnancy checks are really important.
So, is it okay to have pets while pregnant? If a dog is raised at home, it belongs to the intermediate host of Toxoplasma gondii. Even if a pregnant woman comes into contact with a dog infected with Toxoplasma gondii, it will not be infected with Toxoplasma gondii, because a dog infected with Toxoplasma gondii does not produce a cystic zygote that can be transmitted to humans. However, if a pregnant woman eats dog meat, she may be infected with Toxoplasma gondii.
But cat families should pay special attention, because cats are the ultimate host of Toxoplasma gondii, and Toxoplasma gondii will multiply in the cat’s intestine. Once a cat is infected with Toxoplasma gondii, it can excrete millions of Toxoplasma gondii every day. Insect eggs. However, it is not so easy for cats to be infected with Toxoplasma gondii. As long as cat feces and cat litter
are cleaned in time every day, cats can reduce the risk of contracting Toxoplasma gondii.
In general, the infection of Toxoplasma gondii cannot be completely linked to keeping pets, and it also involves the health management of people themselves. Sending a pet away after someone is pregnant at home requires a serious decision by the pet owner. If you have other related questions, you can also consult your veterinarian.
