{"url":"https://www.zooplus.co.uk/magazine/cat/cat-health-and-care/toxoplasmosis-in-cats-causes-symptoms-and-treatment","title":"Toxoplasmosis in Cats: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment","mag_id":416317,"is_single":true,"cat_name":"Cat","sub_cat_id":152,"sub_cat_name":"Cat Health and Care","cat_id":138}
If you’re expecting a new addition to the family, many cat owners feel unsure: can cats and children get along well? Expectant parents are particularly worried about one thing: toxoplasmosis in cats, a disease caused by parasites.
For healthy cats, a toxoplasmosis infection is usually not a major problem. Kittens, senior cats and cats with weakened immune systems, however, are generally affected more severely. The greatest risk is for pregnant cats.
Toxoplasmosis is also a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted to humans. Toxoplasmosis can even be fatal for unborn babies in particular.
How Many Cats Shed Toxoplasmosis Pathogens?
Several studies show that only a very small proportion of cats actively shed oocysts at any given time – this is the name given to the infectious developmental stage of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Around 70% of all cats will experience at least one toxoplasma infection during their lifetime. However, the oocysts are only shed during the initial infection for around three weeks. As a result, according to one study in Germany, fewer than 1% of cats shed Toxoplasma oocysts.
Symptoms: What Are the First Signs of Toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis in cats usually goes unnoticed. Only mild symptoms such as diarrhoea occur. A healthy cat’s body can generally cope with these on its own.
How Can You Recognise Toxoplasmosis in Cats?
However, caution is needed with animals that have weakened immune systems. In these cases, the symptoms of toxoplasmosis are much more severe and the disease can become chronic. If your cat shows any of the following symptoms, you should take them to a vet:
In healthy adults, toxoplasmosis also usually causes no symptoms, or the symptoms resemble those of flu. People with weakened immune systems may experience coordination problems and seizures.
If a pregnant woman becomes infected, she herself will rarely show symptoms. However, the earlier in pregnancy the infection occurs, the greater the risk to the unborn baby. Possible consequences include hydrocephalus or even a miscarriage.
Toxoplasmosis can pose a risk to an unborn baby if the mother is infected for the first time during pregnancy.
Diagnosis: How Can Toxoplasmosis Be Detected in Cats?
If toxoplasmosis is suspected in your cat, you should have them tested. To do this, the vet examines blood or faecal samples. Shortly after infection, cats shed a large number of spores (oocysts). These can then be identified under a microscope.
Antibodies against toxoplasma can be detected in the blood. To distinguish between acute and chronic toxoplasmosis, two blood samples taken two to three weeks apart must be analysed. The cost of such a toxoplasmosis test is approximately €50 to €100.
Treatment: How Is Toxoplasmosis Treated in Cats?
Healthy cats generally cope with toxoplasma infection on their own. However, cats with weakened immune systems that show severe symptoms do require treatment. The antibiotic clindamycin is used for this purpose.
In addition, the vet will try to manage symptoms such as fever, breathing problems and eye inflammation using suitable measures such as anti-inflammatory medication, infusions and eye drops.
What Does Treatment Look Like in Humans?
The same applies to humans. Symptoms usually go unnoticed and the body manages toxoplasmosis independently. However, people with weakened immune systems do need treatment.
Treatment is especially important for pregnant women. Doctors use antibiotics and/or medication against the parasites (antiparasitic drugs).
Prognosis: Can Toxoplasmosis in Cats Be Cured?
Whether toxoplasmosis in cats can be cured depends on the animal’s immune status and the cat’s age at the time of infection. Healthy adult cats have a very good prognosis, even without treatment.
Young Kittens Are at the Highest Risk of Death
The younger the cat is at the time of infection, the poorer the prognosis. If kittens become infected shortly after birth or during early kittenhood, this can even lead to death in some cases.
Animals with weakened immune systems usually become permanently ill (chronically) because their bodies cannot completely fight off the toxoplasma parasites.
Causes: How Does the Disease Develop?
The pathogen responsible for toxoplasmosis in cats is called Toxoplasma gondii. This is a single-celled parasite for which the cat is the definitive host.
The Trigger is an Intestinal Parasite
This means that the pathogen can only reproduce with the cat’s help. In the intestines, it forms so-called oocysts, which the cat excretes in its faeces. These become infectious within a few days of being excreted.
However, the parasite can also infect intermediate hosts, in which it survives but cannot reproduce. This includes virtually all warm-blooded animals, including humans. This is why toxoplasmosis is classified as a zoonotic disease.
How Can Cats Become Infected with Toxoplasmosis?
Toxoplasmosis pathogens can be transmitted to cats in two ways:
Direct: The infectious oocysts enter the cat’s body directly. The cat either comes into contact with the faeces of infected animals or with a contaminated environment.
Indirect: The pathogen can also enter the cat’s body via intermediate hosts. These contain inactive forms of toxoplasma (bradyzoites), which become active again in the cat’s intestines. Small prey animals such as mice are suitable for this route of transmission. Feeding raw meat can also introduce the inactive form of toxoplasmosis into the cat’s body.
Prevention: How Can I Prevent Toxoplasmosis in Cats?
In reality, infection with toxoplasma can only really be prevented in indoor cats. However, this is only possible if the cat is fed exclusively sufficiently heated or frozen meat or commercial cat food.
No Preventative Measures Necessary
For outdoor cats, the risk of infection is unfortunately unavoidable. Whether while burying their mess or enjoying a feast after a successful hunt, there are many possible ways outdoor cats can become infected.
However, as healthy cats generally do not have problems with toxoplasmosis, no special preventative measures are needed.
Especially during pregnancy, you should pay close attention to hygiene after an intensive cuddle session.
Tips for Pregnant Women: Pay Attention to Hygiene
Among all the potential risks for mother and child during pregnancy, toxoplasmosis is certainly high on the list for cat owners. The following tips can significantly reduce the risk of infection during pregnancy:
Ask your gynaecologist to test whether you have previously had contact with the toxoplasmosis pathogen. After the initial infection, the body forms antibodies, meaning there is no further danger.
If possible, have the litter traycleaned by someone else. Otherwise, wear gloves when cleaning it.
The litter tray should be cleaned every day. Since it takes some time for toxoplasma oocysts to become infectious, this minimises the risk of infection.
Avoid feeding your cat a raw diet (BARF) during pregnancy.
Can You Catch Toxoplasmosis from Stroking a Cat?
Stroking a cat does not normally pose a major risk of infection. However, there is still a slight residual risk if faeces are stuck to the cat’s fur and you do not wash your hands after petting them or touch your face or mouth.
Incidentally, cats are not the only route of transmission for the toxoplasmosis pathogen. Infection can also occur through contaminated soil or sand, lettuce and vegetables, as well as raw or undercooked meat. You should therefore wash vegetables thoroughly and ideally wear gloves when gardening.
Conclusion: A Widespread Infectious Disease
Many cats come into contact with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii during their lifetime, but only very few are actually infectious at any given time. This means that although toxoplasmosis is widespread in cats, active shedding of the parasite is rare and short-lived. In healthy cats, the infection usually causes no symptoms. There is a certain risk of infection for humans. Pregnant women in particular should therefore follow some precautionary measures to protect their unborn baby.
Important Note: The content provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional veterinary advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns about your pet's health, please always consult a licensed veterinarian.
This article was translated using Artificial Intelligence from the original German zooplus Magazine. While the original content was authored by industry experts and reviewed by our editorial team, this automated translation has not been human-edited and is provided for informational purposes.
At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene.
Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future.
Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
It’s not just the right type of litter tray that will make your cat happy, but also the right type of cat litter. The best litters are ones that are very absorbent and ideally neutralise odours too, but finding the perfect cat litter can be no easy task with so many varieties on offer from natural clumping litter made of clay, non-clumping litter, litter made of wood or silica.
Are you worried because your ageing feline friend no longer responds to her name? Or are you wondering why your house cat can’t find her food bowl straight away? Your cat has probably reached a proud senior age and now needs special care. Find out how to spot the symptoms of senility in your cat early on and give her an age-appropriate life.
Coconut oil is very popular among cat owners as it provides natural protection from ticks and other parasites. In addition, this on-trend product is said to have numerous benefits. We will give you tips and information on how and when coconut oil can be a practical alternative to conventional remedies.
