Cat warning for pregnant
Monday November 28th, 2011
Pregnant women should avoid cat litter and raw meat to prevent complications, experts have warned.
A
new study finds women in Europe and North America are much more exposed
to the risk of toxoplasmosis than in China - where eating habits are different.
Researchers at Salford University, UK, worked with Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, to compare research on rates of toxoplasmosis.
The condition is caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Thousands of people are routinely infected by the parasite - but pregnant women are placed at increased risk of miscarriage and having children with birth defects.
The researchers say that about 20 per cent of people in the UK and USA have been infected - with rates rising to 60 per cent in some parts of continental Europe.
But the Chinese studies suggest rates as low as ten per cent - suggesting that high infection rates can be avoided.
Researcher Professor Geoff Hide, from Salford, said: "These findings represent a first look at regional differences in the distribution of this parasite.
"Our theory is that, especially in continental Europe, women are eating much more raw meat than in China.
"Although the risk to each woman is low, with infection rates of up to 60 per cent the study certainly reinforces existing advice about avoiding cat litter and raw meat products."
Tags: Asia | Childbirth and Pregnancy | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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