How to avoid toxoplasmosis
DGRefHelp - NHS Dumfries & Galloway
Warning
- Use gloves when gardening, particularly when handling soil – wash hands thoroughly afterwards with soap and hot water.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat or cured meats like salami or Parma ham.
- Wash hands before and after handling food.
- Wash all kitchenware thoroughly after preparing raw meat.
- Wash all fruit and vegetables before eating them, including pre-prepared salads.
- Avoid drinking unpasteurised goat's milk or eating products made from it.
- Avoid cat faeces in cat litter or soil – avoid changing litter, if not possible gloves should be worn when emptying a cat's litter tray and wash hands thoroughly afterwards - trays should be emptied every day.
- Give cats dried or canned cat food rather than raw meat to ensure they don't eat any infected meat.
- Cover a child's sandpit to stop cats using it as a litter box.
- Avoid coming into contact with pregnant sheep and newborn lambs during the lambing season as there's a small risk an infected sheep or lamb could pass the infection on at this.