Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis

The disease can be transmitted through the consumption of undercooked meat and raw sausage products, unwashed fruit and vegetables, as well as soil and sand.

In almost every second adult, antibodies can be detected as a sign of a past infection. Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by a parasite (Toxoplasma gondii). The main host of this parasite is the cat. Infected and diseased cats excrete eggs of this pathogen in their feces. These eggs are very resistant to environmental influences and can be spread by wind or dust. In this way they are ingested by humans, but also by slaughtered animals. If the latter is the case, the following happens: So-called toxoplasmosis cysts form in the muscle tissue of the diseased animal. If this infected meat is eaten raw by humans (e.g. as minced meat), there is a risk of infection. As soon as the infection has occurred, the immune system produces antibodies.

There are two ways in which infection can occur:

• Ingestion of toxoplasmosis eggs from cat feces/ close contact with cats
• Ingestion of the pathogens via the cyst-containing raw or insufficiently cooked or roasted meat of infected slaughtered animals (e.g. minced meat, tartare)

There are no typical symptoms that immediately suggest toxoplasmosis. In many cases, the infection goes completely unnoticed. In other cases, flu-like symptoms and swelling of the lymph nodes occur. The only possible diagnosis is the determination of antibodies in the blood.

Toxoplasmosis is generally a harmless disease for non-pregnant women, which heals without further consequences and leads to immunity after the disease has been passed. An infection in the womb can then no longer occur. However, an initial infection with Toxoplasma during pregnancy is more risky. The disease can be transmitted to the child. There is a risk of miscarriage or even serious damage, particularly to the child's brain.

Early diagnosis is crucial for successful treatment of a toxoplasmosis infection. The diagnosis can only be made by means of a blood test. It is not usually covered by statutory health insurance.

We recommend that you have a test carried out at the beginning of your pregnancy to check whether you have already had an infection and are therefore protected. Then you have nothing further to worry about during pregnancy.

If the blood test shows that you have never had toxoplasmosis, the following procedure is advisable:

• Blood tests every 8 weeks to detect new infections in good time
• Observe the precautionary measures indicated to avoid infection

Thanks to medical progress, it is possible to cure toxoplasmosis. If a blood test reveals suspected fresh toxoplasmosis, treatment with an antibiotic is started immediately.