Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy
Toxoplasmosis is a common disease that occurs worldwide in most birds and warm-blooded mammals, including humans.
You cannot catch toxoplasmosis from contact with another infected person, but you are at risk from infection if you come into contact with any of the following:
- Cat faeces. The parasite breeds in the bowels of cats, and then is released in their faeces. Cat faeces have been known to go on to contaminate (infect) soil, fruits and vegetables, water, and other animals.
- Undercooked or raw, infected meat -either by eating it or touching your mouth after handling it. Grazing animals can contract the infection by eating contaminated grass and animal feed. Venison, lamb and pork are more likely to be infected with T. gondii parasite.
- Contaminated knives, cutting boards and other utensils, which have been in contact with contaminated undercooked or raw meat.
The infection can cause the lymph nodes (part of your immune system.) to swell, especially in the throat or the armpits. This can cause symptoms similar to that of flu, such as:
- Body aches.
- Fever.
- Tiredness.
- Feeling sick, and a sore throat.
Toxoplasmosis can be serious if a woman catches the infection during her pregnancy because, although she will probably have no symptoms, it is likely the infection will be passed on to her unborn child (known as congenital toxoplasmosis). This is because a foetus’ immune system is not properly developed and is unable to defend against infection. This can lead to complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth or birth defects.
What is not known by many is that lambing sheep also carry this disease and it is from this point of view I am more interested.
I have been a farmer's wife for just over 15 yrs, and my attitude towards the dangers has changed as I have 'grown up'. I became pregnant, before my wedding in February, so that meant I was carrying my eldest while 'helping' with the farm. Although I was warned of the dangers to both me and the baby, I was a typical 18yr old that knew better than all the doctors. When I was 7 1/2 months pregnant, I was out in the fields checking the sheep with my new husband willing to take on my new 'job' as farmer's wife to the fullest.
If my hubs needed my small hands to pull a lamb I was there, I didn't like all the gunk, but as soon as the lambs were pulled, I would be the one that carried them, possibly the most stupid thing I did. Even when nearing 8 1/2 months pregnant I didn't think as we bundled a sheep in the back of my husbands van with me in the back with her, making sure she was safe. We got out of the van at the vets clinic, only to find he took one look at me in my 'condition' and ordered me out, to have nothing to do with the birth. What he didn't know was I had spent an hour on and off trying to pull this lamb with my own bare hands.
Ignorance is bliss the midwives never found out until later! When I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd I still helped out, although by this time I was wearing rubber gloves thinking that would help me out! Yes I know a great picture me with bright yellow marigolds walking through a field! Again I took all the risks, with no thought to what could happen. Before Christmas that year and a lot sooner than I thought I was pregnant with a 3rd child, whom I miscarried, I also miscarried again 2 months later. So with 2 miscarriages and then a flourishing pregnancy I avoided lambing. My little girl was born.
Ten years later I found myself in the same situation, my job was to look after the pet lambs, as soon as we knew they were not going to be looked after by their mom, they came to me. Until the February of 2005, we had our first pet lamb, finally realising the dangers of what lambing could do, and hearing of a farmer's wife who had lost twins during lambing, my rules were clear. Hubby had to change out of all clothes he had used in lambing, and leave them at his parents, I was taking no risks, and now I find myself in a very similar position.
I am pregnant with my 5th child and lambing this year has proved to be the most difficult. With my husband working a full time office job, and his dad having hit 80, and suddenly becoming old, my poor husband has got to cope with lambing, all on his own for the best part. The sheep are too heavy for my father in law to help, so if Iwan is not available, then the vet has to be called. As some of you know from our experience a couple of weeks ago, this became a very exciting time. Hubby had brought a sheep up knowing it had a prolapse and had to be watched extremely carefully as the vet had to put stitches in to stop her uterus coming out, now he also had to work the following day which left me, pregnant and having to look after this sheep without being able to do anything. After a frantic couple of hour’s hubby arrived home and took the sheep to the vet, we had triplets, and they need bottles, although from now the danger is over, I can't even go and look at them as they are in a shed with other expectant sheep. With the ever present threat of Toxoplasmosis, I can't risk it, as my midwife once put it, a droplet in the air from a lambing ewe can cause me to lose the baby. I follow the advice of my midwives to the letter in this respect as coming from a rural area, with many mountain sheep, I cannot risk otherwise.
As for me, I'm hoping to be sterilised after I have had my new baby boy, and hope that I can get back into helping my husband in the way of the farm like I always wanted too.
The first half of this was taken from the nhs direct website
This is a members article written by Vickimom
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