Does anyone know the actual chances of contracting toxoplasmosis?

[sleepcrisis]

It's just that I have eaten thousands of very rare steak over the years, done my fair share of gardening, eaten more salami and saucisson than is probably healthy. Yet in my booking bloods I tested negative for too antibodies. (Not sure if its routine everywhere but the test for it here).

I'm just a little anxious tonight because I ordered a medium steak and only once I was half way through it did I realise it was pretty damn pink. Just the way i like it :) But am now a bit worried. I'd been resisting steak all pg as I'd usually only order it rare, but I think I'm slightly anemic and was really craving some meat!

Just wondering how common is toxo and please tell me not to worry!

That shld read 'toxo' antibodies.

Ps it was v good quality steak from decent posh place, if that helps!

I had a similar experience. Always grubbing about in the dirt as a child, love gardening as an adult, eaten more cured meats than vegetables probably(!) and always having rare steak. Heck, even had cats and changed their litter tray.

I was most disgruntled to find out I was negative for the antibodies too (I asked to be tested as we had cats.. somehow the midwife agreed but I heard since that is not normal!) What does it take to catch the thing?!

Me too! And I worked in numerous catteries as a kid and changed god knows how many litter trays... Also has lots of contact with sheep at lambing! Was quite gutted to discover i was negative. MW told me the prevalence used to be really high, which is why they stopped testing, but all the 'high risk' people I know who have been tested were negative . Really wanted to 'infect' myself before getting pg with no 2, but don't think there was much chance!

You can't catch it from beef steak, only rare lamb. Freezing for a week also kills it really effectively.

It also isn't infective in fresh poo, only the older stuff that's been sitting for a few days (eg in the garden), which is why if you change litter tray every day you're pretty unlikely to pick it up!

I've worked with sick cats for 15 years, lambed sheep for 5, garden without gloves, am not that careful about washing fruit and veg...and I'm negative

When I was pregnant with DD1 the midwives told me that it was fine to eat medium-rare steak. The important thing is making sure that the outside of the meat is properly seared, as that is where any bacteria will be.

Hang on, you can eat rare steak?! Christmas has come early! Hoe did I not know this....?

No but like you I am also negative - have had three babies - and was stunned as had dealt with so much cat litter was sure I had immunity.
Spent some time panicking but then just got on with it but made sure that I avoided barbeques/grilled sausage stands for the rest of the pregancies and washed vegetables/hands a bit more OCD than usual

I was advised the same while pg with ds1. But the DoH and NHS have changed their official guidelines on tock and now say all meat should be well cooked. As a rule I generally only follow Nhs guidelines and so am probably going to worry about last nights steak fr the next 4 months! But, given that none of us have caught it in the past it's highly unlikely we'll catch it while pregnant, surely?!

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#Raw

www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx#Raw