How Safe is Having a Cat Around when You're Pregnant? Everything You Needed to Know About Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is a flulike illness caused by protozoa. The disease in an adult is often so mild that it passes virtually unnoticed, but it can be extremely harmful, even fatal, for a fetus. When contracted by a pregnant woman, toxoplasmosis can result in severe brain or liver damage for her unborn child. Another effect toxoplasmosis may have on a fetus is damage to the retina of the eye, resulting in severe visual impairment or blindness. Any child who contracts toxoplasmosis in the womb is at risk for visual problems. These visual handicaps may show up immediately in an affected infant or they may not develop until years later.

So how do you get it? Well, cat's and raw meat are the two most common sources of toxoplasma gondii, the tiny parasites that cause the disease. Fortunately, it's very easy to minimize your chances of exposure.

Before you run and list your cat on Craigslist, take these tips into consideration. You do not have to get rid of your cat, albeit you'll have to change the way you do a few things.

If you have a cat, get someone else to clean the litter box. If you have an outdoor cat, wear gloves when you garden or do yard work. Avoid any contact whatsoever with cat feces.

While you are pregnant, the meat you east should be thoroughly cooked. Omit steak tartare and very rare hamburges from your diet until baby is born.