Toxoplasmosis is an infection you can get from a microscopic parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Although the infection generally causes a mild, symptomless illness in people with healthy immune systems, it’s risky during pregnancy because the parasite may infect the placenta and your unborn baby.
Outdoor cats can carry a number of diseases that infect people, including toxoplasmosis. Because of the quantity and longevity of infectious eggs that an infected cat may deposit into the environment, any area where cats roam and downstream water bodies should be considered contaminated.
Researchers estimate that of the over 4 million births in the United States each year, between 400 and 4,000 babies are born with toxoplasmosis (known as congenital toxoplasmosis).
The good news is there’s a lot you can do to avoid becoming infected in the first place. To reduce the risk of your cat or your family contracting this potentially fatal disease, please keep cats indoors.
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