T. Gondii - Most of Us Have It!
75T. Gondii - Global
T. gondii – a Parasite Most People in the World Have It!
T. gondii May be Deadly
Toxoplasmosis Gondii (T. gondii) only recently has been determined to have deleterious effects upon humans. People who have their immune systems weakened by anything such as organ transplants, AIDS, LUPUS, and many autoimmune diseases may experience serious effects or death.
Individuals undergoing chemotherapy and infants may develop severe toxoplasmosis. Severe toxoplasmosis may result in damage to the eyes or brain. Infants becoming infected before birth can be born retarded or with other mental or physical problems. Babies infected while still in the womb may show no symptoms at birth, but develop symptoms later in life.
How Do You Get T. gondii?
Most people get T. gondii from eating under cooked meat. However, T. gondii MUST live inside a cat’s digestive system to reproduce. Babies can get T. gondii from their mothers.
In addition, T. gondii may be acquired from drinking water from wells, municipal water, milk, chickens, cows, birds, or any warm blooded animal.
Cleaning cat litter boxes may be a source of T. gondii infection. The entire feline (cats, lions, cougars and etc.) animal classification may be carriers. They deposit onto the ground in their feces. See:
http://www.praguepost.com/archivescontent/3144-jaroslav-flegr-a-manipulation-hypothesis.html
How Do you Eliminate the Possibility of Getting T. gondii?
Good personal hygiene will prevent being infected with T. gondii by performing the following:
- Wash your hands (cat fecal matter to mouth)
- High risk groups (with diseases or drug therapy suppressing their immune system) should not have contact with a cat litter tray.
- Stay away from feral cats.
- Empty cat litter trays daily (wear gloves)
- Use boiling water 5 – 10 minutes to clean cat litter box
- Do NOT flush! (Chlorine does not eradicate T. gondii)
- Wash fruits and vegetables
- Meat should be cooked to a minimum of 137 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or 150F for 4 minutes to kill the tissue cysts (Dubey et al 1990).
- Do NOT rely on using microwaves… Microwave ovens do not heat evenly! Microwave are not a safe way to kill T. gondii!
- T gondii can remain infectious when stored in a refrigerator (39 F) for up to 54 months (Dubey 1998).
- Freezing meat down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 days will kill T. gondii
- Curing, or smoking also will eradicate T. gondii
- Gamma irradiated foods will be no infectious from T. gondii.
In researching for my book, “Eyes Wide Shut: An Enigma,” I was made aware T. gondii may be in our drinking water and oceans. I will discuss this in another HubPages article.
See Related Articles:
http://dallas93444.hubpages.com/hub/What-Does-Cats-have-To-Do-With-It
http://dallas93444.hubpages.com/hub/What-is-the-Big-Deal-T-gondii-Changes-Human-Behaviors
My book: www. eyeswideshutanenigma dot com
or enter into Google: Eyes Wide Shut: An enigma
CommentsLoading...
JadedLove,
Thanks for your comments!
That's indeed a scary prospect. I will send the link to a friend who has a cat, loves cats and sometimes takes care of others' cats! I hope it doesn't frighten him too much, but it sounds too risky to risk! He also has a friend with lupus who has several cats. So hopefully he'll remind her - or maybe I should, since I know her too.
I will be extra careful myself, though I haven't had a cat in many years. I do eat a lot of fresh fruit & veggies, though not so much meat. I always wash the produce and am very fastidious about meat. Still, one can't be too careful. One never knows where the food has been!
If, as you say - most of us have it -- gulp!
Thanks for the warning.
Nellieanna,
Thanks!
Lupus is as you know an autoimmune disease...
There is a small window right after the initial cat infection that pose significant risks...
The concern is the oocytes are virulent for months, perhaps years... (depends on many factors)...
Most of us will live happy, contented lives! if we have T. gondii infection and it is latent... and our immune systems is way down, the T. gondii may flare up with horrible results...
This body of knowledge is growing and a lot of research is being done...
As always, thanks for your inciteful thoughts and comments!
This is scary. I wonder how cat lovers feel about the fact that cats are the culprit on this one.
FitnezzJim,
I agree. It is scary. It was not known the extent of the T. gondii impact on us and warm blooded animals.
Cat lovers (I like cats) must be aware and alert. Just because of the cat/T.gondii connection does not mean their cat, or all cats prsents a danger. Each cat is a case-by-case risk vs. benefit.
This may be shedding light on a subfect of concern for me. Thanks for your research and effort to bring it to us. Excellent work.
WD Curry 111,
Thanks for your comments. I hope you ease your concerns...
up, useful, and interesting hub dallas. This was very interesting to say the least. Wow. Very well written I may add.
thelyricwriter,
Thanks!
As recent as 1970's the discovery of how T. gondii affects pregnant women and in the 2000's how T. gondii affects our behaviors, our wareness and being alert to the proper care of cats has become very important!
For more information, my new book, "Eyes Wide Shut: An enigma" website (to be nice and not promote!) gives more details about T. gondii.
This topic overshadows my book... T. gondii changes our cultures... and us.
Hi Dallas...
Yikes...the cat box is actually the reason I prefer dogs...once a week at the end of a shovel is better than in the house at any time.
Scary info my friend...thanks for delivering it so well!
Thomas
ThoughtSandwiches,
To learn, to acquire knowledge is a step in the process to be all we can be...
I again stress this is not anti-cats... My attempt is to increase awareness...
Thanks for your comments!
Goodness, I had no idea. There are families of feral cats in my daughter's neighborhood and I must let her know. Thank you for sharing this.
frogyfish,
Be aware and alert!
Thanks for your comments.
I found this fascinating! So glad you posted on the subject, too.
bethperry,
Thanks for your comments! Knowledge is power!
JadedLove 7 months ago
Lovely but very scary to think about. I hate to feel this, but I must say that you know from experience I am sure. I did vote you up and awesome Dallas, Thank you for taking your time to put such a Hub out there. Blessings friend.