The toxoplasmosis infection is caused by the T. gondii parasite. Some of the ways that you may come into contact with this parasite are outlined below.
- Contact with cat faeces, either in a litter tray, or in soil. The parasite breeds in the bowels of cats, and is released in their faeces. Cat faeces can also contaminate (infect) soil, fruit and vegetables, water, and other animals.
- Undercooked or raw infected meat - either by eating it, or touching your mouth after handling it. Grazing animals can become infected after eating contaminated grass and animal feed. Venison, lamb, and pork are more likely to be infected.
- Contaminated knives, cutting boards, and other utensils that have been in contact with contaminated undercooked or raw meat.
- Eating or drinking infected unpasteurised goat’s milk, or products that are made from it, such as cheese.
In very rare cases, people have developed toxoplasmosis from an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion.
It may also be possible to get the infection from sheep during the lambing season. This is because the T. gondii parasite can be found in the afterbirth and on newborn lambs after an infected sheep has given birth. Coming into contact with an infected sheep or lamb, or contaminated afterbirth, may lead to you also becoming infected.
Toxoplasmosis cannot be caught from another person. This means that:
- you cannot catch toxoplasmosis from contact with someone who is infected,
- you cannot pass toxoplasmosis on to your children if you have had the infection before, and
- it is not possible to pass the infection on through breastfeeding.
Congenital toxoplasmosis
Congenital toxoplasmosis is when a baby is born with toxoplasmosis. The mother passes on the infection to her baby through the placenta (the organ that links the mother’s blood supply to her unborn baby’s). However, this can only occur if the mother became infected for the first time either:
- during pregnancy, or
- during the 2-3 months before she conceived.
Congenital toxoplasmosis is more likely to occur if you become infected later in your pregnancy.
For example, if you become infected with toxoplasmosis 2-3 months before you conceive, there is a one per cent chance that your baby will also develop the infection.
However, if you become infected in the third trimester of your pregnancy (from week 27 to the birth) there is about a 65 per cent chance that your baby will also be infected.
One study calculated that for every week further along the pregnancy that the mother was infected, the likelihood of the toxoplasmosis infection being passed on to the baby increased by 12 per cent.
