toxoplasmosis paranoia... help!

[berolina]

Hi there. I think a lot of you MNers will have me down as a worrier... probably because I am one... but I am REALLY worried about this one. My own stupid fault...

Got back from work tonight, it was dark outside of course, and when I took my shoes off I noticed something brown, mud or something, mixed with bits of leaf, on one of my soles. Anyway, I didn't think and proceeded to clean it off - using a wet and soapy tissue, without gloves. It wasn't that messy to clean off, but a bit of water did drop to the floor and one of my fingers did touch my sole. I washed my hands immediately afterwards, of course, and scrubbed the nails of the hand I'd done it with, but I know that you should wear gloves when cleaning out cat litter and gardening, for example, and am now absolutely paranoid I could have picked up toxoplasmosis from doing this (in case the 'mud' was cat poo or contaminated with it). What do any of you think? Have I been really, really stupid? I'm 12 weeks today, which I've reached with spotting scares and much worrying, and am just so terrified that this silly little thing could cause me to lose my baby. Thank you for any advice!

You are worrying for nothing
For all you know you might even be immune!
Do you always wash your salad and vegetables (even bought in bags).... you should !

Try to relax, like PUpuce says you might well be immune, even if it was cat poo and even if it was infected. I have two cats and a healthy 9 month old and had similar concerns but it sounds lke you know what you should be doing so don't worry! JUst enjoy being pg

If you washed your hands, what more can you do?

I can really understand your paranoia, I spent both my pregnancys being paranoid as one of my cats was diagnosed with toxo when I was pregnant with my first.
To get the infection you would have to eat cat poo. Then of course the poo would have to have spores in it. You would have to develop the infection, and you could well be already immune, then you would have to transmit it to the baby, which is only a very small risk when you are 12 weeks. Probably when you multiply up all the statistics it is more likely that an aeroplane will crash on your house tonight!
If you are still worried though just ask to be screened at your 14 week blood test- say you had accidental contact with cat poo.
All the best for the rest of your pregnancy, you will be just fine

They test for toxoplasmosis as a matter of course in pregnancy here (and I wish they didn't - it's not like they can do anything about it except to tell you to wear gloves etc.) and I presume that is because prevalence is relatively high due to lots of rare meat.

But my friend's gyneacologist (the best in town apparently) told her that in his 30 years of practice he had never seen a baby born with problems attributable to toxoplasmosis.

Really don't worry - you washed your hands well, the mud was probably just mud anyway and you might even be immune.

Hi there and thankyou!
Sadly not immune - had a test done.

I worried about this a lot too, especially as I went to Morocco when newly pregnant and ate loads of salads and veg, and cats are everywhere there.
My sister in France was always banging on about how they test for it there, so, mad with worry I asked to be tested. Turned out I was immune (ie had already contracted it and was thus immune like 50% of people I believe?).

Could relax then and when pregnant second time around (just worried about a load of other stuff as you do!)

I would put my hand on my heart on the toxo front and say that you have zero worries!

Hi Berolina,

I worried about this during my pregnancy with dd.Especially as I am a gardener by trade & never wore gloves.I asked my gp & apparently they don't routinely test for it in the UK & he wasn't concerned.

I was also told that eating raw meat holds far more risk than any other method of contracting it.I think I am probably immune because of my job,plus 25 odd years of drinking 'raw' milk & working on a farm.

I can understand your worry over it,but I think the chances of being infected are absolutely miniscule.Especially as you washed your hands afterwards.I did a lot of reading up on this in the past & can honestly say that it is virtually impossible for you to have gotten toxoplasmosis this way.

I worried about it too,but consoled myself with this thought-how many babies do you know or have you heard of who contracted toxoplasmosis? I couldn't think of one!

Hi, there just wanted to offer some reassurance.I have recently had my fourth baby and during all but my first pregnancy panicked about toxoplasmosis.When preg with my first 14 years ago nobody mentioned toxoplasmosis so I gardened without gloves, ate unwashed salads and changed my cats litter tray!!! My dd is now a healthy( stoppy) 13 year old! during subsequent pregs I found out I wasnt immune to toxoplasmosis and did evrything in my power to reduce exposure to it, by the time I was preg this year I was a touch obsessed I accidentally came into contact with some when I was 20 weeks preg this year and went to the doctors, they said that after a few weeks they could do a blood test to show if I had contracted it and I hadnt, so I worried for nothing.The gp told me it was very rare to contract it unless you routinely ate undercooked meat or gardened all the time without gloves and your hands were covered in open wounds.So please try not to worry, you did all thr right things by washing your hands v, well, unless you put your hands in your mouth before washing them I dont think you have put yourself at risk.If you are still worried ask your gp or mw for the toxoplasmosis trust helpline and they can advise you and hopefully put your mind at ease letting you enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.Good luck and best wishes

Thanks everyone for the reassurance!
have calmed down from first paranoia (big bowl of custard has helped!) but am still worried, can't help it... but your reassurances do help.

I had the paranoia nda had the test too

berolina,

another worrier here
I had a simmilar scare during my last pregnancy when I cleaned up something revolting that my cat had done on the carpet without gloves on then started to worry about toxoplasmosis despite the fact that I had washed my hands thoroughly.
I proceeded to spend hours looking it up on the internet and I can honestly say that as you've washed your hands thoroughly there is no risk. I also found details of a study which said that risks of toxoplasmosis are no higher in cat owners than non cat owners and that the main risks come from eating undercooked meat and unwashed veg and even then they are pretty low.
Please try not to worry.

I understand how you feel, when I was pg with DSs, I licked the spoon after making a cake and then realised a couple of hours later

I was in the bath hysterical crying/sobbing DH didn't know what to do with me

So he phoned the hospital, and told them they were very nice to him, and told him that I shouldn't worry, but I kept on sobbing, so in the end I stopped as he threatened to phone my mum {who is a very lovely person btw} and I knew she would tell me not to be so silly and so I stopped.

They said licking the spoon of raw cake mixture that had 1 egg in. I would have hardly had any egg anyway.

I was 11 weeks pg at the time.

Hope you feel ok in the morning

if it's any consolation,i sometimes think that mums to be are so overwhelmed with info on whats not safe that its hard not to become paranoid, obviosly we need to be sensible but the undue worry can really ruin a pregnancy.I spent my recent pregnancy refusing to eat potatoes! not eating out and refusing any meat that hadnt been cremated, it kind of spoiled thiongs and drove my dh and other children mad! so just relax, go with the flow and enjoy it because carrying a baby is a wonderful experience and should be relished!

Hi everyone, I worried too and just wanted to offer some more consolation.

in order to catch toxoplasmosis, your cat must first be infected with it (this was probably by them eating raw meat) in order for the cat to catch it, the meat must have it.

So look at it this way, the raw meat has to have it (sufficent washing and proper cooking would eliminate it) Then you would have to feed the cat the raw meet (most people prefer tins which are supposed to be cleaned)I presume that cats get the meat from Bin bags! then you would have to physically eat the infected cats poo. (if you washed your hands it pratically zeros the chance)

The only thing i would say is everyone relates toxoplasmosis to cats, you have just as much chance of catching it if you dont wash and cook meat properly or wash veg before you eat it. Even then the risk is low so dont get too obssesive

I had complete paranoia when last pregnant with ds (now 11 months), and requested a test from the doc. The test takes 2/3 weeks and even then cannot necessarily clarify whether you have had toxoplasmosis recently or not.

With hindsight I would not do this again. It was far more worrying not having a clear idea after the test than that vague worry you have before.

The chances of actually picking up toxoplasmosis whilst pregnant, I understand, are very very small.

Also if you have already had toxoplasmosis (which you probably won't know because it's just like flu) you will have natural immunity anyway.

Good Luck

Hi there everyone,
Just logged on and found so many reassuring messages - thank you!
Do feel better today - have been very busy with work so far which really took my mind off it. Sure the paranoia will come creeping back in at some point but will try to knock it on the head!