Experts say cats pose no danger to women

Experts say cats pose no danger to women

By Maria Kegel

JAKARTA (JP): Pet cats have been given away by many women,
pregnant or otherwise, because of a concern about the disease
toxoplasmosis. But do the facts support what is often a painful
decision?

An informal survey conducted among expatriates of several
nationalities and Indonesians living in Jakarta revealed most
people had a limited knowledge and/or did not know the correct
facts on the parasite, toxoplasma, and the disease,
toxoplasmosis, resulting from it.

All who were questioned said they were familiar with the name
of the disease and that it could harm unborn babies. But no one
knew how the disease was transmitted to humans, or that eating
meat was another source of infection, which, experts say, is an
easier form of transmission.

Some said they believed if they held or petted a cat, they
would become infected.

Dr. Siti Zaenab, who shares a veterinary practice in Kemang,
South Jakarta, with her husband Dr. Gunadi Setiadarma and another
veterinarian, has heard similar misconceptions.

"People think that even if a cat touches them they can get the
disease," she said. "They are not well-informed, and women who
are planning to have a family come to the office specially to ask
how they can get it (the disease) and if it's safe to keep a
cat."

But Dr. Siti said she had come across only a few toxoplasma
cases in cats.

So where exactly does the parasite exist, and how easy is it
to get infected?

Toxoplasma is found in the feces of some cats, undercooked
beef and even undercooked bear meat.

Getting the spores from any of these sources into your mouth
can lead to infection.

Cats can contract the parasite from catching mice or other
wild animals. But it is hard to detect if your cat has the
parasite as they seldom produce noticeable effects in the
infectious stages of the first few weeks. Nevertheless, spores
can be shed into their feces. Once in the litter box, it takes
one to five days before spores develop.

Therefore, it is recommended that the litter box be cleaned
daily to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.

Dr. Gunadi said people who eat undercooked meat are more at
risk of toxoplasmosis than cat owners.

In the United States, most human cases of the disease come
from eating undercooked meat from contaminated animals or from
eating unwashed vegetables, according to Dr. Susan Hall from the
Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights.

"Studies I've read indicate there is no correlation with the
incidence of toxoplasmosis and cat ownership," she said. "Cats
are unfairly blamed as a problem because they are what is known
as a definitive host."

She said that even in the United States, doctors still tell
pregnant women to get rid of their cats.

Dr. Siti said since she was a child she has had cats. "Up
until I was eight months pregnant with my first child, I had four
cats sleeping at night with me."

If a woman has owned a cat for some time before becoming
pregnant, she has most likely built up her resistance to the
disease through exposure, which would lead to the development of
antibodies, Dr. Gunadi said. "However, if a woman is pregnant and
then adopts a cat, she may be at a higher risk."

Dr. Siti said that during the seven month of her second
pregnancy she developed a fever and was dizzy. "At the time, I
was helping at a cat shelter and had adopted a stray kitten, so a
doctor recommended I take an antibody test, and my immunoglobulin
(IgG) count was high at 1,800 or so."

Her doctor prescribed an antibiotic, which she took twice
daily. "I felt better and had another blood test which revealed
the count was low."

Ruki, a client services staff member from Prodia Laboratorium
on Jl. Kramat Jaya, Central Jakarta, said two IgG tests, as in
Dr. Siti's case, are performed separately to determine if there
is an infection.

If the count is high, a second test is performed two weeks
later, and if the count has increased two to three times, then
there is an infection. But if the count is lower in the second
test, everything is fine, Ruki said.

Dr. Dan Carey, who answers pet owners' concerns for the Iams
pet food company in the United States, said pregnant women
without any antibodies could become infected with the parasite,
and, possibly, infect their unborn babies. "But this is very
uncommon," he asserted.

"All pregnant women should follow precautions when eating meat
or cleaning the cat's litter box. It's not worth the risk," Dr.
Carey said.

The risk is the infection could possibly result in eye and
brain problems in the baby, Dr. Carey said.

Dr. Siti recommends women wear gloves when handling raw meat,
the litter box or working in the garden, and to wash their hands
immediately afterward.

Dr. Carey seconded this advice. "Since cats often defecate in
outdoor soil, wear gloves when gardening and wash your hands and
the vegetables afterward."

Veterinarians say it is wise to keep cats indoors to
discourage them from hunting. Indoor cats fed a commercial diet
are not at risk, Dr. Hall said.

Testing

"As a precaution, especially if you are worried about it,
(women) ask your obstetrician to take a blood sample to see if
you already have antibodies to toxoplasma," Dr. Carey advised.

In Jakarta, specific toxoplasmosis tests are available at any
of the 15 Prodia Laboratoriums.

The labs offer two toxoplasma tests for immunoglobulin (IgG
and IgM). The IgG test checks if a person has been exposed to the
disease in the past, and the IgM checks if there is currently an
active infection, Ruki explained, adding that the results were
ready within a day.

Compared to wild animals sold illegally, such as the young
wildcat, slow loris and other primates, dogs and domestic cats
are far more suitable pets for humans because the chances of
their transmitting a disease is low, Dr. Gunadi said. He warned
that wild animals usually carried dangerous diseases and
parasites which could be easily passed to humans.