By Katherine Dodds, D.V.M., and Jennifer Hew, D.V.M.   

Toxoplasmosis is a disease of great concern for pet owners who are pregnant. Everyone else, in general, can relax. That is because toxoplasmosis infection in most dogs, cats, and humans does not cause any clinical signs. But if you are immunocompromised or pregnant, you need to be a little concerned. Toxoplasmosis is the disease caused by a protozoan organism called Toxoplasma gondii. It affects mostly animals such as sheep, cats, and humans, but even insects and fish can be carriers. The biggest concern with toxo is zoonosis or transmission to humans. The cat has probably been overemphasized in its role as a carrier of toxo. The truth is, most human infections come from eating undercooked meat that has the tissue stages of toxo in it. As stated earlier, the only real concern is for women who are pregnant or people who are immunocompromised (e.g., AIDS and chemotherapy patients). Cats rarely become ill with toxo. This happens only if they themselves are ill or have a suppressed immune system (e.g., fighting Feline Leukemia, Feline AIDS, or Feline Infectious Peritonitis). Respiratory symptoms are common in cats; usually this means labored breathing, a fever, loss of appetite, and a case of the blahs. Gastrointestinal (GI) signs are also common and include weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and enlarged abdominal lymph nodes. The third area affected is the nervous system; it is this area, combined with GI and respiratory symptoms, that may alert your veterinarian to suspect toxo. Neuro signs include personality changes (coordination, seizures and convulsions), uneven pupil size, blindness, and crying out. If your veterinarian suspects toxoplasmosis, she will run some general tests such as blood counts, blood chemistries, and radiographs. To nail the diagnosis of toxo, we need to see oocysts from a fecal sample under a microscope. Sounds straightforward, but the oocysts are shed only for a period of 10 to 14 days, and the cats are usually NOT ill during this shedding period. The next test involves antibody titers, but a single antibody titer may not be conclusive. Since many cats have elevated titers (meaning past exposure), these tests need to be repeated in 2 to 3 weeks and show a 4-fold increase over the previous titer. This is called a paired titer examination. If you are pregnant and your doctor tells you to get your cat examined by a veterinarian, have a fecal exam performed and get the paired titers done. The interpretation of these tests can get a little confusing, though. First off, some cats develop an immune response to the parasite during the shedding period; thus these cats will be negative during the initial phase of shedding and become positive later when the shedding stops (remember, they only shed for 10 to 14 days). Therefore, positive cats are less likely to be shedding the oocysts (you need to have contact with the oocyst to get toxo from your cat). Cats that are negative on the antibody titers lack immunity and are at risk for acquiring toxo and later shedding. So it is a bit confusing. Our advice to pregnant women is to have the test done and then just avoid the litter box; your husband or children will be thrilled to have this new duty added to their list. Remember also that most humans get toxo from meat and not from cats. The good news for cats is that toxo is fairly responsive to treatment. Routine antibiotics usually provide a cure. Hospitalization and supportive care may be needed until the antibiotics have a chance to work. The biggest area to pay attention to is prevention . Here are a few tips. Do not allow your cat to eat raw meat. Feed only commercial cat food and don't let your cat outside to hunt (did you hear that, PeeWee?). Do not allow your cat access to barns where food animals are housed. Do not feed your cat raw milk-especially goat's milk. -Katherine Dodds, D.V.M., primarily a feline practitioner, practices at Hammocks Veterinary Hospital in Kendall. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and is an affiliate of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. She can be reached at 305-388-0880. -Dr. Jennifer S. Hew practices at Hammocks Veterinary Hospital in Kendall, Florida. She is a small-animal practitioner with an interest in feline medicine and surgery and is a member of the American Association of Feline Practitioners.

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