Ferrets and Toxoplasmosis

[jenclarke23]

Hello Everyone,
I've been looking online and I haven't found any straight answers to this question yet so I thought I'd ask the experts on this board.

We've recently found out that we're expecting a new baby (of the human pursuasion rather than the ferret pursuasion)!! Our due date is in June and I've been trying to find out about the risk of toxoplasmosis from ferrets. I've given up cleaning the litter boxes for now until I get some answers but it really would be easier for my SO and I to share litter box and cage cleaning duties. None of my ferrets go outdoors and we don't have a cat.

Just wondering if anyone here might know the risk?

Thanks in advance!

[Tressie]

WARMEST CONGRATULATIONS!

Here’s some quotes from the world’s most eminent ferret expert veterinary pathologist Dr. Bruce Williams:

From the Ferret Health List (FHL) – June 2008:

Archive From 2002:
ferrethealth.org/archive/YG10863
includes
BEGIN QUOTE
The are some coccidia, though that do live in ferret tissues for a
very long time, such as toxoplasmosis, but they never complete their
life cycle in the ferret. The are ingested, migrate through the
tissues of the body, usually hole up in cysts in the brain, and
remain there until the animal is eaten by another predator, at which
time they can infect the predator. However, it is only if that
predator is a cat that these organisms will ever complete their life
cycle and be passed in the feces as infective eggs.
END QUOTE

ferrethealth.org/archive/YG1002
BEGIN QUOTE (Dr. Williams)
…. ferrets, like any mammal, can contract
Toxoplasmosis, but only cats can pass the infective eggs in the
feces - cats are the definitive host. The only feces that you can
catch toxo from is cat feces.

Any mammal can pass infective organisma living within the cells of
their body if they are eaten without being cooked well, however -
this is why it is recommended that all pregnant women cook their meat
(beef, pork) well. If you eat a cat, or a ferret, or a kangaroo, you
could theoretically ingest the organism that way, but I doubt there
is any likelihood of that.

The chance of contracting Toxo from your ferret is astronomical, but
let's make sure your husband cleans up after those cats!
END QUOTE

also see:
ferrethealth.org/archive/SG5592
ferrethealth.org/archive/YG10092


Dr. Williams, quoted in Miami Ferret:

Ferrets cannot pass infective toxoplasmosis oocytes in their feces (Dr. Bruce Williams). To contract Toxoplasmosis from a ferret, one would have to eat poorly cooked ferret meat. If you are pregnant and concerned about this disease, have your husband or SO clean the litter boxes.

And Dr. Williams on Ferret FAQ:

Dr. Bruce Williams, DVM, says:

Toxoplasmosis has been reported twice in ferrets. Ferrets will
not shed the toxoplasma organism to the extent that cats do, but
if they are exposed to cat feces, they may contract the disease
and shed very low amounts of oocysts.

Here's the bottom line. Because of the devastating effects that
Toxoplasma can have on a developing human fetus in the first
trimester - you don't want to take ANY chance at all on exposing
to Toxo. So [someone in the household who
isn't pregnant] inherits all litterbox duties for the next
nine months. Actually, she probably stands a higher chance of
getting Toxo from poorly cooked beef. The doctor says - if she's
a carnivore - better get used to well-done steaks....


From this information I would say the risks are pretty low of contracting toxoplasmosis from your ferrets UNLESS they have shared a litter box with a cat at some point.

Excerpt from article on Toxoplasmosis in Healthline:

Can Toxoplasmosis Be Prevented?

Eating contaminated meat or produce or inhaling microscopic toxoplasmosis cysts or spores are the most common means of toxoplasmosis transmission. You can reduce your risk of infection by:

eating fully cooked meat. You should avoid rare or "tartare" meat;
washing raw vegetables and fruit thoroughly;
washing raw vegetables and fruit thoroughly;
washing your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat or vegetables. You should avoid touching your eyes or mouth while preparing raw foods; and
washing your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat or vegetables. You should avoid touching your eyes or mouth while preparing raw foods; and
avoiding cat feces. If you have a cat, change the litter box every two days and periodically wash the litter tray with boiling water. Wear gloves and a mask when you change the litter box. Also, keep your pet indoors and do not feed it raw meat.

www.healthline.com/yodocontent/pregnancy/infections-toxoplasmosis.html

Tressie

[jenclarke23]

Thanks so much Tressie! We're very excited and I'm very relieved to hear that the chances of catching toxo from ferrets is so rare. I've made the choice to continue helping with ferret cleaning duties and I'll be careful to keep my hands clean afterwards. We're really lucky as I have a lot of friends and relatives who are willing to help us out with the boys and girls while we're going through the next nine months and all of our fuzzbutts are social and love visitors.

Thanks again!
Jenn

[Johnny and Demon]

Congratulations Jen !

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