9 Ways to Prevent Toxoplasmosis Infection
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| how to prevent toxoplasmosis infection |
Toxoplasmosis
Hello readers, have you ever heard about toxoplasmosis? You may already be familiar with this disease if you are a cat lover.
Generally, toxoplasmosis often happens to people who live with cats. Not all cats carry this disease, but mostly their feces can get infected by a parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii.
According to the study, many cases of toxoplasmosis are often classified as mild illnesses. Therefore, the infection does not require special medical treatment. People who get infected by this parasite can fully recover within six weeks.
However, if someone is infected with acute toxoplasmosis, the person needs to be treated by using drugs as medical treatment. Drugs that are often prescribed by doctors usually include pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine.
Meanwhile, if the infection also infects the eye area, then the doctor will add corticosteroid drugs that work to relieve inflammation.
Toxoplasmosis won't be that scary if it infects a normal person. However, it can be a different story if it infects pregnant women.
Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy
Do you ever heard that pregnant women shouldn't live with cats? Well, that maybe sound ridiculous, but according to research, cats is an ideal medium for toxoplasma parasite to transmit.
Toxoplasmosis and pregnancy are often linked if there is a problem with the pregnancy. The effect that can be caused by toxoplasma in pregnant women can be severe, including misscariage, fetus slow development, or even dead fetus.
How to cure toxoplasmosis in pregnancy?
If pregnant women get infected by toxoplasmosis parasites, usually the doctor will start to analyze whether the fetus also gets infected by the parasite or not. Afterward, treatment will be determined according to the time when infection start to occur.
The medication for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy, especially if the infection occurs before the 16th week of pregnancy and the fetus has not been infected by these parasistes, then the doctor will prescribe spiramycin antibiotics.
Spiramycin antibiotics are commonly prescribed in the early trimester of pregnancy because they reduce the risk of neurological disorders in the fetus.
However, the doctor will use a different medication if toxoplasmosis in pregnancy happens after the 16th weeks of pregnancy. If the fetus already contracted toxoplasma parasites, usually the doctor will prescribe pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine.
Toxoplasmosis baby
Can toxoplasmosis infected newborn or baby? the answer is Yes! Pregnant women can also transmit the parasites when they deliver their baby.
If the baby is born with toxoplasma, the doctor will give medication that usually needs to be given for almost one year after birth.
During the medication, the baby's health will be fully monitored to ensure it doesn't cause any complications that may occur.
Toxoplasmosis with low immune system
What happens if someone with low immune system get infected by toxoplasmosis? Usually, to treat toxoplasmosis un people with low immune system the doctors will prescribe drugs such as pyrimethamine with clindamycinne.
The medication for this infection can be lasted for at least six weeks or longer. Sometimes, toxoplasmosis infection can occur again in patients with a weak immune system.
To overcome the infection, people with a low immune system can continue the medication until the body's immunity improves.
Toxoplasmosis complications
Toxoplasmosis is not only fatal to pregnant women, but it can be fatal to anyone if doesn't get proper treatment.
Toxoplasmosis can cause complications which the effects can cause permanent damage to the body. Below is some compilation that can happens due to toxoplasmosis infections:
- Blindness. This condition occurs in patients with toxoplasmosis who have an eye infection that is not treated properly.
- Encephalitis. Serious brain infections can occur in people with toxoplasmosis with a low immune system due to HIV / AIDS.
- Hearing loss, visual impairment, and mental retardation. This complication can befall patients with Toxoplasmosis newborns.
Therefore, knowing the ways to prevent toxoplasmosis infection is important. It will help you to avoid fatal negative impact in the future.
9 Ways to Prevent Toxoplasmosis Infection
After you know about the toxoplasmosis effect, are you wondering how to prevent this disease? Or you want to know how to reduce the risk of toxoplasmosis infection?
Please don't worry! There are several simple things you can do to reduce your risk of getting toxoplasmosis infection,
1. Use gloves when gardening or holding the ground
Its important to always use gloves when you do gardening. Not only gardening, actually. Anything to do with the soil or ground, you should wear gloves!
Gloves will protect your body from the dirt. bacteria, germ and parasite to enter your body through your nail or fingers.
This also applies if you want to clean your cat litter. You should use gloves when cleaning the cat litter if you have cats!
Cat litter is a great place for toxoplasma parasites to grow. Always clean your cat litter as often as possible, and never forget to use gloves!
2. Always wash your hands before and after handling foods
Washing your hand will help your body to eliminate any bacteria, germ and parasites that possibly enter your body. Your hands is a perfect medium for bacteria to accumulate.
Even though the activity of washing your hand may look simple, but its an important act. Washing your hand are effective to prevent disease and control infection, including toxoplasma parasites to transmit.
3. Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat
Do you love to eat raw food? Or are you crazy with rare or medium-rare steak? Well, raw or undercooked foods may have a unique chewy and crunchy taste that can sometimes be addictive.
However, raw food is not advisable, especially if you are pregnant. Raw foods can be contained by many bacteria and parasites that you can't see with bare eyes.
Always cooking your food properly can help eliminate germs, bacteria, and parasites that may enter your body, including toxoplasma gondii.
4. Wash all kitchen utensils thoroughly after cooking raw meat
Do you know that washing kitchen utensils thoroughly after cooking raw meat is important? Any raw meat you cook, you need to clean your kitchen thoroughly.
That's because raw meat can spread any bacteria that can be bad for your health. The bacteria can be spread to other surfaces such as kitchen utensils, foods, or dining table.
Always wash your kitchen utensils using soap that can kill bacteria so the toxoplasmosis infection can be prevented.
5. Always wash fruits and vegetables before consumption
Fruits and vegetables are healthy foods that are packed with many nutrients. However, you need to wash your fruit and vegetables before you start to consume them.
Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of pesticides and bacteria that we never know. Washing fruits and vegetables will eliminate pesticide residue and any bacteria or parasites, including toxoplasma.
6. Avoid drinking non-pasteurized goat milk or its processed products
Some people believe that drinking non-pasteurized goat milk are healthier compared to pasteurized goat milk, but that's not true!
Drinking non-pasteurized goat milk will increase the chance of infection by bacteria or parasites, including toxoplasma gondii.
Therefore, always choose pasteurized goat milk to ensure your milk are free from any bacteria. This is not only limited to goat milk, but it applies to all dairy products, including cow milk.
7. Avoid raising wild cats because they are susceptible to T. Gondii parasites
Nowadays, an act of saving wild cats life is risen. That's definitely a very sweet human act to be more aware with their surrounding environment.
However, raising wild cats can be challenging. Many wild cats are infected with many disease, and some of them often carried toxoplasma parasites.
If you want to save wild cats life, then the first things you need to do is always check the wild cats health to the vet. By doing this, it can help to minimize the chance of getting toxoplasmosis infection.
8. Give cats dry or canned food rather than raw meat
Another prevention to reduce toxoplasmosis infection is avoiding giving your cats raw meat. Raw meat is often contaminated by toxoplasma. Therefore, it is best to give the cats either dry or canned foods.
Cats that eat dry or canned food have less carried toxoplasma, and it helps you to worried free from unwanted diseases.
9. Cover the sandbox for the children's playground so the cat does not use it to litter.
Do you have a sandbox for the children's playground? If yes, please always cover your sandbox properly. If you don't cover your sandbox, then your cats will love to litter there. It's free litter area.
Once again, cat litter is prone to toxoplasma parasites. It will be an ideal medium to spread toxoplasma infection. Therefore, you need to prevent your sandbox from cat litter.
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