Question:
My daughter has three cats and volunteers every Saturday at a cat shelter, cleaning stalls and caring for the cats there. She is now pregnant. I once read that a person should not be cleaning out litter boxes when pregnant. This was confirmed in your column recently.My problem is that I have to state a reason why my daughter shouldn't be cleaning litter boxes while pregnant. Could you please help me? I am very concerned.
M.G., Lakewood, NJ Mar 04, 2007
Answer:
I applaud your daughter's volunteer work at her local cat shelter. I wish more people, especially active retirees, would engage in this kind of volunteer work and in fund-raising campaigns in their communities.Your daughter is at risk of picking up toxoplasmosis -- a disease caused by a single-celled parasite -- from handling the litter of an infected cat or even from petting one whose fur has fecal contamination. Most healthy people who have toxoplasmosis don't even realize it, but pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems could suffer serious health problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Visit the CDC's Web site at www.cdc.gov for more information.)She should take full precautions -- overalls, gloves and mask, and a shower before she leaves the shelter or as soon as she gets home. Her own cats should be tested and treated with clindamycin for 21 days if found infected. Cats generally develop immunity to toxoplasmosis after the first infection, but environmen
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