GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post

30-03-2003, 10:56 PM

In article ,
says...
Warwick wrote:

snips......
I wish people would get themselves straight on this one.

The old wives' tale that once a woman is pregnant she must banish all
cats from her household is simply not true.

possibly .....

T.Gondii infects the vast majority of cats while they are kittens. An
adult cat has thrown out the parasite unless it it immunosuppressed in
some way (cat HIV). The risks to the mother are highest during the first
trimester.

If you say so, although the article in New Scientist some months ago did
not mention that adult cats were immune and I haven't seen that claimed
anywhere else.

No, New Scientist didn't mention it. However I attended a seminar at
work (the Vet Lab Agency) a couple of years ago where the results of a
European wide survey into causes of toxoplasmosis infection were
presented. The information about young kittens being more of a problem
than adult cats was given then. However, handling cats and gardening
were given the same risk rating - minimal. By far and away the most
significant risk factor was eating undercooked lamb. I would like to
give references etc but I don't know which journal the study would be
aimed at (I'm not an epidemiologist) and I have since left the agency.