What is the name of the illness kitties can give to pregnant women?

I am wondering if this illness is airborne or tactile. Also, what are the symptoms if you do get it. Also, does it get more complicated for a woman to become pregnant if they have a cat? Or do women not become pregnant because of that illness? Or is it like chicken pox, once you get it, you can't get it anymore?

Toxoplasmosis.It is from the litter box."What is toxoplasmosis?Toxoplasmosis is an infection that can threaten the health of an unborn child. It is caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. The parasite multiplies in the intestine of cats and is shed in cat feces, mainly into litter boxes and garden soil. You can get the parasite by handling cat litter or soil where there is cat feces. You can also get the parasite from eating undercooked meat (such as rare beef) from animals infected with the parasite."

Toxoplasmosis. "The caution pregnant women hear regarding contact with cat litter reflects concern over a disease called toxoplasmosis. More than 60 million people in the United States have been infected with the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, but very few become ill. However, if you contract the infection for the first time while you are pregnant, it can reach your baby, possibly causing miscarriage, brain damage, or other serious illness. One common source of the infection is cat feces, either in litter boxes or in soil contaminated by infected cats who wander outdoors....Cats pick up the infection from eating raw meat, typically from animals they catch outdoors. You can become infected when you ingest the parasite -- by eating undercooked meat or by putting your hands to your mouth after gardening or handling cat litter. Cats can spread the parasite in their feces only for a few weeks after they are first infected, so if you have (or ever had) a cat that normally spends time outdoors, chances are that it was infected long ago -- and that you were, too. Your veterinarian is a good resource if you have questions about this infection in your cat. If you are infected for the first time during pregnancy, you may have flu-like symptoms, including swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that last for a few days to several weeks. However, most people who become infected with toxoplasmosis don't know it. If you are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant, ask your midwife or doctor to test your blood for evidence of past toxoplasmosis infection. The test should be done as early in pregnancy as possible (or, even better, before you conceive), to make it easier to distinguish past exposure from new infection. (Many providers do this test routinely during the first prenatal exam.) If the test is positive, that means you have already had the infection, and there is no need to worry about passing a new infection to your baby. If the test is negative, you should take precautions to avoid becoming infected during pregnancy, as follows: Wear gloves when you garden or work with soil. Wash your hands well with soap and water after outdoor activities, especially before you eat or prepare any food....Eat only meat that has been thoroughly cooked -- that is, until it is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Don't sample meat before it is fully cooked.If you have cats that normally live indoors, keep them there to avoid their becoming infected. Feed them dry or canned cat food.Don't acquire a new cat or kitten or adopt a stray during your pregnancy.If possible, ask another family member to change your cat's litter box. If you must do it, wear a dust mask and gloves, and wash your hands well afterwards. Also, scoop the litter every day; that may sound as though it's exposing you to more risk, but in fact, your risk is greater if you allow the feces to dry, when the infectious particles can become airborne."

Human Pregnancy and Cats Pregnant women and cats... You may have heard the rumors, but what threat does a cat pose, if any, to a pregnant woman? What are the real dangers of having a cat in the house while you or someone in your family is pregnant? Read on and find out! A pregnant woman will need to take extra precaution against contracting Toxoplasmosis during her pregnancy. However this doesn't mean that a cat can not live in the same house with a pregnant woman. There are many very simple and easy tips that you can do to make sure that Toxoplasmosis is not spread (if your cat even has it which he or she may not) to the expectant mother. Keep in mind that a pregnant woman can also contract Toxoplasmosis from unpasteurized milk products, and uncooked or undercooked meats such as lamb or pork. So cats do not pose the only risk to women as far as Toxoplasmosis is concerned, and in fact a woman is more likely to contract Toxoplasmosis from a source other than a feline. So what is Toxoplasmosis? Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasitic protozoan called Toxoplasma gondii. Feline infection by Toxoplasma gondii is fairly common, however we rarely see disease caused by this parasite (generally disease is see in kittens, the old, and immuno-compromised animals). The parasite is seen in three different forms: cyst, oocyst or tachyzoite. Most felines contract toxoplasmosis from meat that is raw and/or contaminated with any of the three stages of parasite. When a cat ingests such meat (raw meat, a rodent, other prey) that is infected with the parasite, the parasite moves to the wall of the small intestine where it will grow and mature. At this point the cat will excrete oocysts (in high numbers) in his/her feces. These oocysts are what is infective to other animals and humans (pregnant or not). The best way to avoid Toxoplasmosis is to simply avoid any possible contact with feline feces. Thus a pregnant woman's best defense is to make sure not to change the litter or clean the litterbox, and to not bring any new cats into the home during the pregnancy. These simple steps in conjunction with taking care to not eat uncooked or undercooked meats, or unpasteurized milk products should be enough to keep mom-to-be safe from any potential infections. Women can also have a Toxoplasmosis test done before or once they know they are pregnant. If the expectant mother has had cats or has been in contact with cats in the past she may have already been exposed to Toxoplasma gondii. If so she probably already has antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. This is the best case scenario. If a woman already has antibodies against Toxoplasmosis and if she is exposed again (even while pregnant), the antibodies will fight off the parasite and thus she will have little to no chance of becoming ill or passing Toxoplasmosis to her unborn child. Having a Toxoplasmosis test will tell her if she already has antibodies or not. You can also have your cat tested. The same rules apply for cats. If the cat tests positive for antibodies then he has already been exposed and thus has a very low chance of contracting the parasite again. However if your cat tests negative and if he then comes in contact Toxoplasma gondii in the future he could become infected and could also then shed oocysts in his feces. The bottom line is that if your or someone in your house becomes pregnant you don't need to immediately give up your cat. You may want to have both the pregnant woman and the cat tested for Toxoplasmosis. And as a safety precaution simply make sure that mom-to-be stays away from the litterbox at all times whether it be to change the litter or clean the litterbox. That won't be too hard will it ladies?

None. There is an illness from a litter box that you can get but a pregnant woman is no more likely to get it than anyone else.But it is uncommon.There is nothing special about being pregnant that makes a woman susceptible to an illness from from a cat.There is no harm in having a cat if you are pregnant,.

It's toxoplasmosis, but I read somewhere that if you have had a cat for a long time, you probably got it and didn't know and you won't get it again. Just have someone else clean the litter box when you are pregnant, if you want you can get tested by a doctor if you are pregnant and concerned.