Can Keeping Cats Cause Infertility in Women? Expert Explains Toxoplasmosis Risks

Jakarta –

Cats are the favorite pets of many people. Children, adults, elderly people and even pregnant women can keep these animals.

However, behind the cuteness of this animal, some people think that keeping cats can cause infertility or problems for women to become pregnant. Is this true?

A lecturer in Medical Laboratory Technology (TLM) at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Muhammadiyah University (UM) Surabaya, Vella Rahmayani, said that this idea was related to cats as the definitive host for toxoplasmosis.

According to the results of the research he reviewed, the definitive host of toxoplasmosis means that cats are animals that are at high risk of transmitting the disease.

“So people who keep cats with this disease will have a higher risk,” said Vella, quoted from the UM Surabaya website, on Saturday (4/5/2024).

Cats can transmit diseases

Toxoplasmosis transmitted by cats can be in the form of feces. This disease in cats is usually caused by a protozoan parasite of the sporozoan class, the species Toxoplasma gondii.

In patients who have a normal immune response, this parasitic infection does not cause clinical symptoms. However, in pregnant women this disease becomes severe.

Pregnant women affected by this disease can have premature birth, miscarriage, yellow birth, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, abscesses, inflammation in local tissues, and even fetal death in the child’s womb.

“This leads to complications of toxoplasmosis, both congenital toxoplasmosis, ocular toxoplasmosis and cerebral toxoplasmosis,” explained Vella.

Measures to prevent toxoplasmosis

The steps to prevent toxoplasmosis that women can take can start with simple things. For example, wash your hands diligently after doing activities such as handling food, gardening, and others.

Then, this also applies to food. Make sure any food you want to eat is washed first, including the cooking utensils, they must be clean.

Another less important step is to eat cooked food.

Finally, and it is important for women to pay attention, Vella advises not to keep cats to prevent the spread of toxoplasmosis. However, if you are too small, make sure the cat is groomed often.

“Given the risk of toxoplasmosis, pregnant women and immunocompromised patients should avoid direct contact with cats as much as possible to reduce the risk of transmitting the disease,” co- Vella closed.

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(cu/pal)