Toxoplasmosis in cats: symptoms and treatment, diagnosis and analysis, danger to humans, prevention of toxoplasmosis in cats and people

Toxoplasmosis is a disease surrounded by a sea of rumors and omissions. Many people, having learned that cats can carry toxoplasmosis, simply abandon these wonderful animals, although any competent doctor will explain to you that information about widespread infection with toxoplasmosis is nothing more than a myth.

The difficulty in treating toxoplasmosis lies in the fact that when the parasite is in a passive stage, it cannot be removed from the body. It is surrounded by a protective capsule and does not reproduce, but if the immune system malfunctions, it can manifest itself. Essentially, it’s like a herpes virus: it can be in the body for years, but not manifest itself in any way.

What is toxoplasmosis

The disease is classified as infectious. It is caused by microscopic protozoan parasites called Toxoplasma. Unlike other carriers of toxoplasmosis, cats are the primary host, not an intermediate host. Because of this, the full development cycle of parasites is possible only in the body of representatives of the cat family.

Pathogen

The pathogen is resistant to external factors and is widespread throughout the world. Its carriers are all warm-blooded animals, including several dozen birds and humans. To destroy Toxoplasma, electromagnetic radiation, drying, heating to 55°C and some disinfectants (phenol, chloramine, alcohol solutions) are used.

Depending on the host, protozoa reproduce by fission in infected cells or sexually in the host's intestines. In the second case, they enter the environment along with feces. This type of reproduction is used exclusively in the body of the main host, so the cat family contributes more than others to the spread of infection.

How the disease develops

The pathogen is characterized by gradual development. In intermediate hosts they go through 2 stages:

Bradyzoites
. They are formed in the cells of internal organs captured by the parasite. They prefer nerve and muscle tissues. They reproduce by division. Invisible to the immune system, as they hide inside healthy cells. While maintaining their integrity, the cells remain unchanged until the end of the host's life.
Tachyzoites
. Formed when an infected cell ruptures. They form new parasites, but are easily eliminated by the immune system.

The last stage of the life cycle is found only in cats. When infected, oocysts appear in their small intestine. Sick pets infect others through their feces for 3 weeks. Inside the body, parasites quickly spread through the bloodstream, releasing toxins and causing necrotic processes in internal organs.

Examination in Medart

At the Medart Medical Center, a full range of serological tests are performed to detect toxoplasma in the patient’s body. An immunological test to identify specific immunoglobulins is part of comprehensive STD tests intended for couples planning to have a child. It is possible to take blood and other biological fluids to determine the presence of toxoplasma and clarify the clinical picture of the disease.

High-precision modern equipment allows you to obtain accurate research results in the shortest possible time.

Advantages of Medart Medical Center:

Qualified specialists.
The ability to quickly obtain accurate research results.
Affordable price.

The medical center provides a full range of services, from preliminary appointments and consultations to establishing and clarifying the diagnosis and prescribing effective treatment regimens and prevention of toxoplasmosis and other diseases.

How cats become infected with toxoplasmosis

Outside a living organism, oocysts live up to 1.5 years, so they can almost always be found in soil or water. They can be infected in 4 ways:

Contact
. The disease is transmitted from cats infected with toxoplasmosis. Their feces pose a particular danger, but transmission through saliva by contact with damaged skin or mucous membranes is also possible.
Transplacental
. An infected mother can infect her kittens through the placenta. In this case, the disease occurs in an acute form.
Nutritional
. Whiskered pets often become infected with protozoa by eating sick birds and mice. Feeding raw meat and fish infected with toxoplasma is no less dangerous.
Airborne
Read also: Ceftriaxone - an antibiotic for cats: spectrum of action, composition and properties
. Occurs only in the pulmonary form of the pathology.

The duration of the incubation period directly depends on the method of infection. When eating contaminated foods, it takes 18 days for symptoms to appear, but when sniffing cat feces, it takes only 3 days.

Causes of infection and risk groups

The main causes of infection include the consumption of foods that have not undergone heat treatment and free walking on the street. Despite this, a stay-at-home pet can also get sick. In his case, the parasites enter the house on the owner’s clothes and shoes.

Cats are most rarely infected by transfusion of infected blood. This is due to the negligence of doctors who are obliged to carefully check the health of each donor.

In addition to homeless animals and animals that often walk outside, the risk group includes pets with low immunity.
These include:

elderly (over 6-7 years old) and young (up to 1 year old) individuals;
cats weakened by chronic diseases, recent surgery or viral infection;
shelter residents kept in crowded conditions.

The cause of infection in newborn kittens may be the milk of a mother who fell ill shortly after birth. By remembering how to identify toxoplasmosis in cats, you can avoid further spread of the disease - becoming familiar with the symptoms will help with this.

Disease prevention

Specific prevention of toxoplasmosis in cats has not been developed. Passive immunity, which is developed during vaccinations, does not appear, so a vaccine against a parasitic disease is not produced. You can protect your pet from illness only by following the rules for its feeding and maintenance:

If the kitten lives in an apartment, you can simply feed it special food and never feed it raw meat. It is possible to introduce pathogen eggs into the house on shoes, but with sufficient cleanliness and regular wet cleaning, this possibility is minimal.
Toxoplasma cysts persist in the external environment for up to 17 months. The parasite in this form is resistant to ultraviolet radiation and drying, and is able to remain viable in the soil for an especially long time. Cats and kittens that are walked on a leash, with care taken to ensure that they do not eat any leftovers, run the risk of becoming infected, but to a small extent.
Those animals that are most susceptible to infection outside the home are those that walk independently and lead a semi-wild lifestyle. They can hunt, come into contact with sick relatives, dig up the soil, or drink water from dirty puddles. If the owner feeds the animal raw meat, then infection will certainly occur. There is no vaccine against toxoplasmosis for cats.
Those who like to pamper their pets with raw meat need to get into the habit of thoroughly freezing the meat before giving it to the cat. At a temperature of -25°C, Toxoplasma cysts die within 2-3 days. If meat has been stored in the freezer for a long time, it is safe to eat raw.
Rodents caught in a mousetrap should not be given to cats. If a pet is unable to hunt on its own, it can get toxoplasma through such attempts to pamper it.
Chicken eggs can be infected with toxoplasmosis. If this product is included in the diet, it should be boiled for about 10 minutes before feeding.
To prevent the cat from becoming re-infected, constantly posing a threat to its owners, the tray must be washed daily and disinfected with an ammonia solution once a week.

How can a person protect himself?

When communicating with a furry pet, owners should always remember about the possibility of the cat spreading pathogens. You can protect yourself from infection by following the rules of hygiene. After handling your pet, you need to wash your hands with soap and use gloves when handling its equipment. The cat should not be kissed or allowed to lick its owner.

Cat lovers often treat their pets from their plate. This behavior creates a threat of infection for humans, since pathogens located on the fur and face of the animal can get into food.

To avoid getting an infection through your pet, you should not eat poorly cooked or fried meat (steaks, steaks, kebab, etc.). When drinking water from open reservoirs, it must be boiled. Children are most at risk of infection when playing in the sandbox: sand often serves as a toilet for stray cats. To prevent the disease, it is advisable to monitor the child, not allowing him to touch his face with dirty hands. After finishing the game you need to wash your hands.

Symptoms at different stages

The first symptoms and signs of toxoplasmosis in cats resemble a common cold. This prevents owners from recognizing a dangerous disease at an early stage. Veterinarians recommend contacting a veterinary clinic if you find:

vomiting and problems with stool;
elevated temperature;
apathy and loss of activity;
rhinitis, lacrimation and cough;
poor appetite;
twitching of the tips of the ears;
enlarged lymph nodes.

Depending on the state of the immune system, the disease occurs in 3 forms: asymptomatic, subacute and acute. If the immune system is strong, then antibodies destroy toxoplasma in 3 weeks. Due to the impossibility of reproduction, the disease becomes chronic, and the animal ceases to pose a danger to others.

How toxoplasmosis manifests itself in cats depends on the stage of the pathology. At later stages, the symptoms are supplemented by:

purulent discharge from the eyes and nose;
itching and hair loss;
yellowing of mucous membranes and inflammation of the eyes;
difficulty breathing;
complete loss of appetite;
muscle cramps, loss of coordination, or paralysis.

An advanced infection is fraught with pneumonia, nephritis, enterocolitis, hepatitis and encephalitis. If complications occur, the probability of recovery is only 10%. If you notice any of the warning signs, it is important to have your cat tested for toxoplasmosis as soon as possible.

Indications for examination

Analysis is most often prescribed in two cases:

When planning pregnancy as part of a standard laboratory diagnostic package for TORCH infection.
If you suspect toxoplasmosis and have certain symptoms.

Laboratory diagnostics are also used to identify symptoms of acute toxoplasmosis in adults or children.

In general medical practice, this test is prescribed if patients exhibit specific symptoms (visual impairment, seizures), as well as for HIV-infected patients.

Diagnostics and tests

To have your pet checked, you do not need to be sick. In case of imminent mating or pregnancy, a preventive examination is recommended.

Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in cats involves the following studies:

Study of smears from the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, as well as washings and effusion fluid. In an infected animal, active division of parasites is observed.
Stool analysis. Effective only in the initial stages. If your pet shows symptoms of the disease, then all the oocysts have already died.
Blood analysis. The diagnosis is confirmed by detecting an increased number of protective cells: lymphocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils. A biochemical blood test for toxoplasmosis in cats reveals an increase in bilirubin and enzymes responsible for the synthesis of amino acids (ALT, AST).
Ultrasound and X-ray. Pathological changes in the lungs and liver are detected.
Bioassay. A sample of cat blood is tested on laboratory mice to study their response.

The most informative study is ELISA, that is, enzyme-linked immunosorbent test (ELISA). With its help, the appearance of immunoglobulins M and G is detected - antibodies produced by the body to fight toxoplasma. The highest values of these indicators are typical for animals with weak immunity or in constant contact with a source of infection.

Depending on the ratio of the number of antibodies, the duration of infection is determined. If the ELISA results show the presence of immunoglobulin A, then the form of the disease is recognized as chronic.

Diagnostic methods

Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis includes:

blood sampling for a general analysis, the results of which indicate a reduced number of leukocytes and an increased number of lymphocytes and eosinophils;
conducting a test with toxoplasmin, where a positive reaction means either a chronic infection or the presence of antibodies after an illness;
spinal puncture performed according to indications;
X-ray of the brain to identify an enhanced pattern of blood vessels, widened interosseous spaces, and the presence of calcifications;
if necessary, ultrasound of internal organs.

Most often, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or immunofluorescence reaction is performed to detect toxoplasma. It is repeated twice, at two to three week intervals, to detect the growth of IgM and IgG antibodies. Antibodies M appear in the blood two weeks after infection, their number begins to decrease no earlier than two months later. The presence of G antibodies indicates either the transition of the disease to a chronic form or a complete recovery.

To determine toxoplasmosis in newborns, their antibody titers are compared with those of the mother. A congenital disease is indicated by the presence in a child of IgM and IgG in quantities exceeding maternal values by at least four times. If the mother's antibody titer exceeds the child's, it means that immunoglobulins have been transferred, not the parasite.

Treatment regimen and prognosis

Treatment of toxoplasmosis in cats comes down to eliminating symptoms and chronicity of the pathology. All mustachioed patients who have completed the full course of therapy are recommended to undergo ELISA annually. Timely monitoring of the amount of antibodies eliminates the occurrence of exacerbation during relapses.

The stronger the immune system, the shorter the duration of treatment and the likelihood of complications. On average, it takes only 2 days to suppress symptoms. The main medications prescribed by veterinarians include:

immunostimulants (vitamin B, folic acid, glucose);
Chemical coccide recommended for acute pathology;
mineral and vitamin complexes;
antibiotics (Clindamycin, Rovamycin, Biseptol) that prevent the division of parasites;
glucocorticosteroids (Prednisolone, Dexamethasone), necessary to relieve eye inflammation;
Spiramycin, used during pregnancy;
anti-inflammatory drugs and diuretics that prevent the development of urolithiasis.

All medications are selected individually depending on the results of the analysis and the characteristics of the individual patient’s body. During treatment, be guided strictly by medical recommendations, since an incorrectly selected dosage can lead to dire consequences.

In most cases, the prognosis is positive. The likelihood of complications, including death, is high only with weak immunity and during pregnancy.

The effect of toxoplasmosis on pregnant women

Toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous for pregnant women. If infection occurs during conception or pregnancy, problems may occur. This can negatively affect the development of the fetus and lead to the birth of a child with a congenital pathology.

Some women cannot live without working on the land, and even in their situation they continue to do gardening. In this case, you need to wear gloves when working in the garden, as there may be cat feces in the soil. After finishing gardening work, be sure to wash your hands. Women can often become infected by eating raw minced meat.

Danger to humans

Transmission of Toxoplasma to humans is possible only through cat feces lying in the litter box for more than a day. For safety, it is enough to remove excrement in a timely manner and clean the toilet strictly using rubber gloves.

Transmission of infection through saliva is more common in dogs. Because of this, four-legged pets are much more dangerous than cats.

The disease is not transmitted between people, and if infected, it is usually mild and accompanied by:

increased temperature;
the appearance of headaches and joint pain;
weakness and irritability;
worsening sleep;
loss of appetite.

The only exception to the rule is pregnancy. The presence of pathology in the mother is fraught with miscarriage or congenital anomalies in the fetus.

If you are planning to have a child, it is better to examine your pets in advance for the presence of dormant toxoplasma. A positive result guarantees complete safety, while a negative result indicates tightening of preventive measures. This interpretation is explained by the suppression of the activity of protozoa with the help of the immune forces of the patient, who turned out to be a carrier.

The likelihood of infection from a furry pet is extremely low, so do not rush to part with it or avoid habitual petting on the advice of an incompetent doctor. The most common cause of illness in people is poorly washed vegetables and raw meat. Fans of rare steaks are especially at risk. But children, who love to taste everything, usually become infected on the street while playing in the sandbox.

State Healthcare Institution "Novomoskovsk City Clinical Hospital"

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic diseases, which, according to medical statistics, infects about 60% of the population.

The causative agent of toxoplasmosis , toxoplasma, causes persistent damage to many organs and systems, and it poses a particular danger during pregnancy.
Diagnosis of the disease is fraught with some difficulties precisely due to the fact that the disease may not manifest itself in any way for a long time or may be disguised as a number of other acute and chronic inflammatory processes.

The cause of the disease is the entry of a pathogen into the body - toxoplasma. It is a parasite and therefore lives only in the body of a warm-blooded animal or human. Toxoplasma goes through several stages of development in the organisms of intermediate hosts (they can be any mammals, including domestic and farm animals, rodents and birds, humans) until it finds the final host (usually representatives of the cat family).

When Toxoplasma enters the human body, it infects organ cells at the site of entry (usually the digestive organs or genital organs) and multiplies at the expense of the vital forces of the intermediate host. Further, along the lymphatic and circulatory routes, Toxoplasma spreads to other organs and systems, affecting healthy cells of the liver, nervous system, lymph nodes, skeletal muscles, eyes and lungs, and the muscular layers of the heart.

With normal immunity, the foci of Toxoplasma accumulation are covered with a membrane that limits the pathogen from the organ tissues, and the acute inflammatory reaction weakens. This is how acute toxoplasmosis turns into a chronic form - carriage. Under favorable conditions for the parasite, these protective shells are destroyed, and Toxoplasma begins to actively reproduce again, which is clinically manifested by an exacerbation of the disease. In response to the inflammatory process, the body's immune system produces specific antibodies, which remain forever in the human body and in subsequent laboratory tests for toxoplasma give a positive result. That is why most experts call toxoplasma an opportunistic parasite - toxoplasmosis does not always require treatment .

Therapy is indicated for the acute form of the disease and is aimed at alleviating the symptoms of the disease, and not at completely getting rid of toxoplasma. If the causative agent of the disease is detected in the human body, but there are no clinical symptoms, treatment is not prescribed - this can only provoke an exacerbation.

Routes of infection:

You can become infected with Toxoplasma from the intermediate host of the parasite - domestic and farm animals, birds and rodents, or a human carrier. City residents most often become infected from street and domestic cats or by eating the meat of an infected animal; in villages, infection occurs respectively from farm animals.

Human infection occurs during contact with an infected animal and its physiological fluids - saliva (from bites), urine (while cleaning the cat's litter box), blood and lymph (in veterinary clinics), milk (when consumed without boiling). Infection is possible by eating meat from animals that are intermediate hosts of Toxoplasma without sufficient heat treatment, raw eggs and unboiled homemade milk, unwashed vegetables and fruits.

You can also become infected by petting an infected cat - if there are injuries, scratches or open wounds on your hands, and opportunistic microorganisms from saliva or urine remain on the animal’s fur. In addition, it is possible for pathogens to enter the body of a healthy person during excavation work. There may be feces in the ground from an animal infected with Toxoplasma. That is why it is recommended to wear rubber gloves while working in the garden and then wash your hands thoroughly with soap. Infection through contact and household contact “from person to person” is unlikely.

Recent studies have confirmed that toxoplasmosis can be transmitted sexually from an infected person to a healthy person. Infection through the vertical route is especially dangerous, that is, from an infected mother to a healthy child during the passage of the birth canal or in utero - through the placenta and umbilical cord, blood. At the same time, the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis in a woman in the early stages of pregnancy is slightly lower than in the second or third trimesters. As for the risks for the unborn child, on the contrary, infection in the first trimester has much more serious consequences (up to spontaneous termination of pregnancy or the development of severe malformations in the fetus) than infection at the end of pregnancy, when all the main organs and systems of the child are already formed.

At-risk groups

in the early stages are especially at risk of developing acute forms of toxoplasmosis . This group also includes people with weakened immune systems or the presence of other chronic diseases and acute inflammatory processes. As for infection, almost every person is at risk. The variety and simplicity of infection methods makes toxoplasmosis a fairly common disease, especially in developing countries and areas with poor living conditions, lack of qualified medical care, and unsanitary conditions. Thus, in the countries of Africa and Latin America, the prevalence of toxoplasmosis among the population reaches a record 90% , and among residents of Western Europe the infection rate barely reaches 25% . 30% is infected with toxoplasmosis in the chronic form of the disease .

Separately, it is worth mentioning HIV-positive people and AIDS patients, whose risk of contracting toxoplasmosis is several times higher than the average person. Toxoplasmosis is one of the common causes of death in patients with HIV infection.

Toxoplasmosis can occur in acute , chronic forms and in the form of asymptomatic carriage . A person may experience the following signs of acute toxoplasmosis:

yellowing of the sclera of the eyes;
symptoms of general intoxication of the body;
temperature rise to 38° or more;
nausea and vomiting;
headache;
bloating and pain;
digestive disorders (diarrhea, constipation);
menstrual irregularity (nonspecific syndrome);
fatigue, irritability, apathy;
sleep disorders (insomnia);
lack of appetite;
signs of vegetative-vascular dystonia;
muscle pain, decreased muscle tone;
enlarged and painful lymph nodes;
anxiety, the occurrence of obsessive states or unreasonable fears.

In addition, toxoplasmosis may manifest itself as signs of other diseases of the digestive, cardiovascular, endocrine or nervous systems, genital organs (in very rare cases), resembling a seasonal cold or flu.

The acute form of toxoplasmosis begins suddenly , the patient's condition quickly deteriorates, and the temperature is usually almost impossible to bring down with the use of antipyretic drugs. In this case, urgent medical consultation is necessary, you need to call an ambulance.

The chronic form of the disease, like carriage, as a rule, does not manifest itself with any characteristic symptoms; the person simply does not feel any signs of the disease. In a small number of patients, chronic toxoplasmosis may manifest itself as symptoms of “chronic fatigue syndrome” or chronic diseases of the digestive system, heart and blood vessels, and endocrine system, namely:

rapid fatigue;
periodic sleep disturbances;
deterioration of visual acuity;
rapid heartbeat that does not return to normal within 10 minutes, in response to stress or exercise;
menstrual irregularities;
memory impairment, inability to concentrate;
painful perception of loud sounds or bright lights, etc.

Chronic toxoplasmosis is especially dangerous for an unborn child , as it can lead to spontaneous abortion or the formation of severe congenital malformations.

Toxoplasmosis affects the nervous system; a child with a congenital form of toxoplasmosis may subsequently lag behind his peers in development and suffer from mental disorders. Therefore, before planning a pregnancy, both future parents should undergo a medical examination. If toxoplasma is detected (especially in a woman), it is necessary to carry out therapy, even if the disease does not manifest itself. Fortunately, timely treatment and qualified medical care in most cases help to avoid the severe consequences of congenital toxoplasmosis.

The main method of diagnosing the disease is to conduct laboratory blood tests for the presence of specific antibodies and carefully question the patient for the presence of epidemiological prerequisites: contact with possibly infected animals, the presence of a pet, frequent consumption of meat, smoked foods, unboiled milk or raw chicken eggs, compliance with the rules personal hygiene, profession and others.

Testing for toxoplasmosis is necessary for pregnant women and is prescribed to all pregnant women upon registration at the antenatal clinic. Considering that the current legislation gives each patient the right to make his own decision about consent to one or another type of examination and treatment, when receiving a referral for examination for toxoplasmosis, we recommend carefully weighing all the pros and cons of such an examination in order to eliminate risks.

Prevention

Preventive measures to prevent Toxoplasma infection in adults involve the following actions:

working in the garden or vegetable garden, replanting indoor plants, cleaning the cat's litter box - only wear rubber gloves ;
compliance with basic hygiene rules (washing hands after and before using the toilet, walking, eating);
regular preventive examinations of pets and farm animals, birds and rodents for the presence of parasites, treatment;
timely treatment of minor cuts received during cooking, pet bites and other skin injuries with hydrogen peroxide or other antiseptics;
wash fresh vegetables and fruits thoroughly under running water;
rinse the neck of cans with soft drinks or alcoholic drinks - they may contain urine residues from infected rodents, which often live in warehouses;
refusal to consume raw chicken or quail eggs, unboiled homemade milk and products made from it (homemade cottage cheese or sour cream, if unboiled milk was used for their preparation);
refusal to purchase any food products on the streets, in spontaneous markets, or from unknown persons;
sufficient heat treatment of meat of farm animals and poultry during cooking;
having a regular sexual partner, using barrier contraception (condoms).

Is reinfection possible?

After infection, regardless of the form of the disease, the animal retains immunoglobulins G. These antibodies do not exclude, but significantly reduce the risk of recurrent infection.

A recovered animal is not dangerous to its offspring (the threat of transplacental transmission disappears) and to humans. If it becomes infected a second time, then toxoplasma will multiply strictly in the hematopoietic organs, bypassing the intestines.

Prevention of toxoplasmosis in cats

To prevent disease, veterinarians recommend following basic hygiene rules and monitoring the immune system of your furry pet. This will help avoid complications even with Toxoplasma infection.

Is there a vaccine?

It will not be possible to protect your pet with timely vaccination. The vaccine is created based on a weakened infectious agent or ready-made antibodies. This scheme does not work with the simplest. Scientists are also stopped by the low level of danger of the disease, which eliminates the vital need to create a vaccine.