Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy
Topic Overview
What is toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis is a common infection in birds and mammals, including humans. It is caused by a tiny parasite called Toxoplasma gondii.
After you have had toxoplasmosis, you cannot get it again.
For most people, toxoplasmosis is not dangerous and goes away on its own. But if a pregnant woman becomes infected and passes it on to her unborn baby (fetus), it can cause blindness and brain damage in the fetus. In the United States and Canada, this is rare. In the United States, about 1 to 10 infants out of 10,000 actually become infected before birth.1 This number is small compared to the number of women who become infected during pregnancy—many fetuses do not become infected along with their mothers.2
If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, it is important to either:
- Know that you are immune to toxoplasmosis, or
- Take special care to avoid toxoplasmosis infection.
What causes toxoplasmosis?
You can get toxoplasmosis by eating infected meat that has not been fully cooked or frozen. Meat from game animals and meat you buy from the store can be infected.
You can also get toxoplasmosis by eating anything that has touched cat feces from an infected cat. Cats are the only animals that spread Toxoplasma gondii through their feces. Because cats may use both litter boxes and outdoor sand and soil, you can become infected after changing a litter box, digging or gardening outside, or eating unwashed fruits and vegetables. You may also get infected by eating food that touched a countertop your cat has walked across.
What are common symptoms and complications of toxoplasmosis?
When newly infected, you may at first feel like you have the flu, or you may not feel sick at all. This is why people rarely know whether or when they have had toxoplasmosis.
Although toxoplasmosis is not dangerous to most people, it can be life-threatening to a fetus or someone with a very weak defense (immune) system.
How can you avoid toxoplasmosis infection during pregnancy?
If you are planning to be pregnant in the next 2 months, are pregnant, or have a very weak immune system, avoid exposure to sources of toxoplasmosis.
- Eat only well-cooked or previously frozen meat. Avoid dried meats, such as beef jerky.
- Avoid contact with cat feces. Wear gloves and wash your hands after working in the garden.
- Wash fruits and vegetables before eating them.
- Wash your hands and all utensils after preparing raw meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, or vegetables.
How is toxoplasmosis diagnosed?
You can find out whether you have ever had toxoplasmosis by having a blood test. If you are concerned, talk to your doctor about whether to have this test.
If you have a new toxoplasmosis infection during pregnancy, it is important that your fetus be tested too. A sample of amniotic fluid is collected using amniocentesis. The fluid is tested for signs of toxoplasmosis.
How is it treated?
If you get toxoplasmosis while you are pregnant, you will take antibiotics. This may protect your fetus from infection.
The risks are greatest when a fetus is infected early in pregnancy. Early infection can lead to brain damage, eye damage, or blindness. If you find out that your fetus has toxoplasmosis early in pregnancy, you have the option to continue or end the pregnancy.
If your newborn is infected, he or she will need antibiotics for the first year of life. This lowers the risk of brain damage and blindness from the infection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learning about toxoplasmosis:
- What is toxoplasmosis?
- What are the symptoms of toxoplasmosis?
- Who typically is affected by toxoplasmosis?
- How is toxoplasmosis dangerous to a fetus?
- How does a person get toxoplasmosis?
- What increases my risk of toxoplasmosis?
- What increases my fetus's risk of toxoplasmosis if I am infected during pregnancy?
Being diagnosed:
Getting treatment:
Ongoing concerns:
 Go to top of page |  Go to next section | |
| Author: | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS | Last Updated: June 27, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Gregory A L Davies, MD, FRCSC, FACOG - Maternal-Fetal Medicine | |
 | ||
