• This disease is caused by a parasite that is transmitted to humans by cats via their fecal matter. It can also be spread by eating raw or undercooked meat (mainly pork or mutton) containing the parasite. It is one of the most common human infections throughout the world!
• If a woman becomes infected with this parasite early in her pregnancy, it can lead to infection of the fetus which may cause brain damage, convulsions at birth, and even death.
• Treatment of a pregnant woman can be damaging to the fetus, since the medicine could harm the baby
• So, what can you do to prevent catching this nasty parasite? Here is a list of do’s and don’ts.
  • Cook all meat to 150 degrees F before eating
  • If you have a cat, get rid of it! Yeah, didn’t think that would fly with all the cat lovers. If you just can’t give up fluffy, avoid cleaning the litter box and don’t pet any unknown kitty.
  • Wear gloves when gardening since fluffy could have taken a dump in your hydrangeas (Yuck)!
  • And of course, wash your hands thoroughly before eating anything.

Stay tuned for my next post on “Killer Infection among Pregnant Women” on Feb 22

Read Part 1 of this series – Killer Infections Among Pregnant Women: Listeriosis

*All of the info for this post came from Dr. Cole, a professor at Brigham Young University