Toxoplasmosis is a contagious disease caused by the simplest parasite toxoplasma. The final owner of her, in which she lives in the intestines, is a cat, and many species of animals can become intermediate. Our furry tailed pets become infected by eating the meat of animals infected with this parasite (mice, livestock).
Is it possible to get infected from a cat? Yes you can. A person is on the list of intermediate hosts of toxoplasma. How is toxoplasmosis transmitted from cats? The animal secretes the infectious form of the parasite with feces; swallowing it, a person will get sick with toxoplasmosis. The route of infection is called fecal-oral. This usually happens when personal hygiene is not followed. Do not forget that you can also get sick with toxoplasmosis when eating poorly cooked meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables.
Toxoplasmosis: cat symptoms and diagnosis
When an animal is infected, the incubation period lasts from 7 days to 2 months. The pet appears rather nonspecific signs:
- weakness;
- lethargy;
- loss of appetite;
- fever.
Also, digestive upset (diarrhea, vomiting) manifests toxoplasmosis. Symptoms in a cat may be mild or absent altogether (with a latent form of the disease). The nervous system with the development of seizures, paralysis in these pets is very rarely affected. Considering that there can also be signs of illness similar to those of viral pathologies of the respiratory tract: coughing, sneezing and slight discharge from the nose, shortness of breath, it is not easy to make a diagnosis of toxoplasmosis. Symptoms in a cat by which it is possible to suspect a disease are considered, now it is possible to discuss other diagnostic methods. They will depend on the period of the illness.
How to check a cat for toxoplasmosis? What tests will be required and when are they carried out? The animal secretes with feces the infectious forms of the parasite - oocysts. This occurs within only two to three weeks from the moment a pathogenic agent enters his body. Oocysts can be detected by microscopy of feces or by placing a biological sample on laboratory mice. Usually this time falls on the incubation period, and it is difficult to suspect toxoplasmosis in general. Symptoms in a cat discussed above, pass when the disease goes into a chronic stage. At this time, the pathogen is carried by blood through the internal organs and remains in them. Identify the disease during this period will help:
- general blood analysis;
- immunological test for antibodies to toxoplasma.
What to do if the disease is detected in a cat
If oocysts (infectious forms of the parasite) are found in the feces of the animal, then it poses a danger to humans. For all people, it does not pose a great threat, with the exception of women carrying a child. Their infection during pregnancy is fraught with the occurrence of complications: abortion, malformations of the fetus. Contact with a cat secreting oocysts should be excluded. Attention should also be paid to the prevention of other infections.
A pet with oocysts in the feces must be delivered to the veterinarian and treated. If an animal has found antibodies to toxoplasma, then this is not a reason for panic. Provided that the cat has no clinical signs and does not secrete oocysts, it is absolutely safe for humans.