Very specific question! About sheep!

[LittleSilver]

I live on a sheep farm, though don't have anything to do with stock day to day asides from chasing the odd one out of the garden. That said, DDs do tend to tread in it/fall in it fairly frequently.

MW has suggested I be tested for toxoplasmosis; if am immune great, if not, I need to be very very careful apparently. A quick google leads me to think am prob immune anyway (we used to have cats), but even if I'm not, knowing my status isn't actually going to change anything is it? I mean, I'm not exactly going to be prancing around in it just because I'm immune.

Or am I missing something?

Info here

As I understand it, Toxoplasmosis can be a risk from any kind of animal faeces. The real risk for pregnant women from sheep is during lambing and while ewes are in lamb - so this time of year should be okay. Mind you, I'd avoid the rams when they go in with the ewes purely from a thump-in-the-stomach knock-you-over-for-fun point of view too!

If you're not immune, you need to be very very careful about wearing gloves outside and washing really well lots.

hi honey, as long as you ccan have nothing to do with them between june and end of august during lambing season, you will be fine, try wearing gloves and taking shoes off before going indoors, you will be ok if you follow the usuall hygiene xxxx the mw had a fit, when i told her i work with animals, lol

Just reiterating really...

The risk to pregnant women is from sheep in late pregnancy, when lambing and from newborn lambs.

At that time of year, you should avoid any contact with the sheep and lambs, clothing or equipment that have been used in lambing and wash hands, etc when you have been opening gates or such like.

Apart from that, any close contact with animals brings a slightly increased risk so be strict about you and your children's hand-washing!

In the UK lambing tends to take place between December and May and this is the period of greatest risk. If I remember rightly there's a leaflet produced by the toxoplasmosis trust which is quite good. If you.re not in close daily contact and you practise good hygiene you'll be fine.