1/ Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite
There toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease whose agent is the toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular protozoan. This means that the parasite needs to enter a cell of the infested host to grow. Toxoplasmosis is absolutely not contagious, human-to-human contamination does not exist.
2/ Contamination most often occurs through the digestive tract
The parasite which transmits toxoplasmosis is very common in pork and sheep (72% of sheep in France are infected!) but also, even if it is rarer, in beef and veal. You can contract it by eating these undercooked meatsof the poorly washed vegetables and of course cat contact because the latter can consume raw meat.
3/ Apart from pregnancy, toxoplasmosis is not serious
Outside of pregnancy, toxoplasmosis is not only mild but is most often asymptomatic. The primary infection generally goes completely unnoticed or is mistaken for a trivial infection sometimes accompanied by fever. For this reason, many adults are immune to toxoplasmosis without knowing it.
4/ Certain symptoms should alert
20% of infected people will nevertheless show signs of the disease. Signs that should therefore be monitored during pregnancy if contamination is suspected: a slight fever, swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, an rash of small pimples on the body, headache, aches.
5 / A simple blood test can check the immunity of a pregnant woman
At the start of pregnancy, among the many blood tests prescribed for the mother-to-be, one of the first tests will consist of checking whether or not she is immunized against toxoplasmosis. The result of this blood test will determine what action to take during pregnancy. If the blood test detects the antibodies for the disease, this means that the mother-to-be has already been infected in the past and is therefore no longer at risk. If the antibody level is too low or negative then the pregnant woman is not immune and will need to be vigilant during pregnancy. A new blood test will be ordered every month to ensure that the disease has not broken out.
6/ The fetus can be contaminated through the placenta
If toxoplasmosis is harmless for the pregnant woman herself, it is a vital emergency for her baby who risks being contaminated through the placenta. The severity of the damage depends on the stage of pregnancy at which the contamination occurs. The consequences for the baby are less serious at the end of pregnancy when it is at this period that the risk of transmission is greatest. The critical zone is between the 10th and 16th week of amenorrhea.
7/ Miscarriage, neurological disorders, prematurity: the serious consequences of toxoplasmosis on the fetus
During the first trimester, the major risk is that of miscarriage. As the pregnancy progresses, the damage can be multiple: ocular pathologies and in particular chorioretinitis, neurological damage, heart malformations, even fetal death in utero. An IMG (medical termination of pregnancy) can be performed if examinations (amniocentesis, ultrasound, fetal blood sampling) detect severe damage to the fetus. If the baby survives despite serious damage, the psychomotor delay is generally major. It also happens that symptoms appear during early childhood and these children benefit from close monitoring in any case.
8/ We can protect ourselves from toxoplasmosis during pregnancy
Although zero risk does not exist, it is nevertheless possible to observe certain precautions to avoid contamination:
-Avoid consuming cold meats, raw meat, game, raw milk and cheese made from raw milk, raw seafood and shellfish.
-Cook the meat correctly (finished steak tartare!)
-Avoid contact with cats and ask a third party to change the litter or do it with gloves
-Wear gloves when gardening
-Wash your hands regularly, especially before cooking and rinse vegetables and fruits well before consuming them. Also wash the work surface before cutting vegetables or meat.
Pregnant women whose fetus has been infected quickly receive antibiotic treatment plus a combination of two molecules: pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine.
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