What is Toxoplasma gondii and what should you do if a cat gets toxoplasmosis?

In many families that keep cats, when the lady of the house becomes pregnant, the cat is sent away, mainly to prevent infection with Toxoplasma gondii. But do you know what Toxoplasma gondii is? What should you do if a cat gets toxoplasmosis?

What is Toxoplasma gondii?

1. Other names

Toxoplasma gondii is also known as Sanshichong, Sanpeng, Sanshi, Sanshishen, etc., and is an intracellular parasite. It parasitizes inside cells and travels with the blood to reach every part of the body.

2. Harm

Toxoplasmosis is an infection of humans and animals caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Toxoplasma gondii belongs to a class of parasites called protozoa, which are the smallest in form and simplest in structure. It damages the brain, heart, and fundus of the eye, causing a decline in human immunity and leading to various diseases.

3. Manifestations

Humans: it can cause miscarriage, premature birth, fetal malformation, or stillbirth in pregnant women, and the rate of fetal malformation is especially high when infection occurs in early pregnancy. In the neonatal period there may be fever, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, myocarditis, epilepsy, etc. Confluent pneumonia is a common cause of death.

Cats: cats are infected as intermediate hosts, and their symptoms are divided into acute and chronic types.

Acute type: the sick cat has a fever, with body temperature often above 40°C. Poor spirits, anorexia, lethargy, and difficulty breathing. Vomiting and diarrhea sometimes occur. Pregnant cats may have stillbirths and miscarriages.

Chronic type: poor appetite, emaciation, and anemia, with neurological symptoms sometimes appearing. Pregnant cats may also have miscarriages and stillbirths. If a cat is infected as a definitive host, the symptoms are milder, showing as mild diarrhea.

What should you do if a cat gets toxoplasmosis?

1. Sulfadiazine can be given orally at 10mg/kg body weight, divided into 4 doses per day; or pyrimethamine at 1mg/kg body weight, once a day for 7 consecutive days.

2. Those without experience, or beginners, can directly send it to a pet hospital for treatment.

3. Prevention and control: keep the cat house clean and hygienic, handle cat feces promptly, disinfect regularly, and strictly disinfect the fetuses and excrement from cat miscarriages as well as the miscarriage site to prevent environmental contamination.

Because toxoplasmosis is a disease that can infect humans, friends who keep pets at home, especially those who keep cats, should pay special attention.