Dear Gina,

Toxoplasmosis is an extremely common infection caused by a
protozoan.  Although cats are the definitive host, it can infect a
wide range of animals and birds.  Infection of humans usually
occurs by exposure to cat feces by emptying litter boxes or by
exposure to the organism through contaminated soil.  Human
infection is usually asymtomatic, but may involve a low-grade
lymph node infection similar to mononucleosis. Exposure can be
demonstrated serologically through an antibody titer test.  The
biggest threat is when a woman is exposed and infected during
pregnancy which can cause the fetus to be infected leading to
permanent and sometimes devastating abnormalities.  Lawrence,
1999, states

"Pregnant or lactating women should not change litter boxes, but if
they must, it should be done daily and while wearing gloves.  The
oocyst is not infective for the first 24 to 48 hours after passage.
Mothers can avoid ingestion of the organism by fully cooking meats
and carefully washing fruits, vegetables, and food preparation
surfaces."

Lawrence does not list maternal toxoplasmosis infection to be a
contradiction for breastfeeding.  Transmission during breastfeeding
in humans has not been demonstrated and breastmilk of a mother
who has been previously exposed most likely will contain
antibodies against it.

If precautions are following, infection is quite unlikely, but not
totally impossible. It is impossible to remove all possible risks to
ourselves and our babies from our environment. If this mom is truly
paranoid about this, she may indeed need to get rid of her cat for
peace of mind, if nothing else.  As a cat lover and one who has
kept cats (and dogs) throughout pregnancies and beyond, I think
this would be a shame.  But it is her right to assess risk vs. benefit
to her own satisfaction.


Warmly,
Sharon Knorr, BSMT, LLLL, IBCLC
Newark, NY (near Rochester) USA
mailto:[log in to unmask]

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