Toxoplasmosis

[MS_Vicki]

Anybody KNow Anything About This Subject???

[MS_Vicki]

Hey Ya'll....

I never did get back with ya'll on an update with this... but briefly, here is just a little more that I have found out:

Okay, 1/3 of Canadians have it... 10 out of every 100 Americans have it... when I say have it... I mean previous exposure!

Most having been exposed... do not even realize it.. flu like symptoms... ect.

We develop an antibody to it that can always be detected... & the test can tell you weather or not it was a previous exposure... or recent!

Also if you have had a previous exposure then you are always at risk of a relapse (In normal folks... just flu-like symptoms again that you may.. or may not be aware of)

The folks that are in danger, are the folks with vulnerable immune systems! It can cause brain problems, liver damage, kidney problems... ect!

Although those of us whom have HCV do have vulnerable immune systems... the ones with HIV are at the greatest risk .... what they refer to as vulnerable.. is when your T4 counts drop below 100... (mine was last at 8,000 something)

It can even come from petting the cat... (say they were in a fight & urinated on themselves... or rolled in the grass where the germs may be at...ect) those with litter boxes.... if it is scooped up immediately (within the first 2 hours)... risk is low

Cats are only actually contagious thru their feces for the first 2 weeks.... but dust from where they may have defecated during that time period.. can blow around & be contagious for months!
Okay... that's just the kitty theory... but you can also get this from eating raw & under-cooked meat... especially wild game... but to kill it in cuts of meat... simply cook well... of if you must eat it medium rare... freeze meat for 1 hour prior... it can not live under frozen conditions!
So given the above.... although Yes my kitty did get it... risk of carry-over or damage to me due to this is very slim...
Now I guess the moral to the story is... If in doubt... freeze your cat! LoL
:)

[MS_Vicki]

Okay.. Here's the scenero.... & what I have found out from my General Practioner... still waiting on the GP to call me back!

This is NOT GOOD!

Yes I have Cats.... About 2 weeks ago... Stormy started dragging up dead baby Rabbits, I have been told by cat people... that these are little presents & gifts the kittys bring to you!

Well last week he started acting REAL WEIRD... I thought he got hit by a car or something & either was in pain... or had brain damage... nothing was obviously broke....

The first day he was real Ill... & I was dropper feeding him milk, cause he wouldn't even eat tuna fish! He looked sick... those third eyes half closed....

But then he seemed better... but got mean & grouchy (He has NEVER acted like this)so I thought he was in pain.. like a cracked rib or something... but couldn't locate a sore spot...

This cat will get pissed off at you for looking at him wrong now!

Okay... so I thought.. dang, he is acting like he has Rabbies... but he just recently got revaccinated... so that rules that out!

He got to the point he was attacking Tree's for Christ sake! Even ambush you for no reason... & I'm not talking playing either!

So today I found him under the house attacking something... Pipes Possums... who knows!

Took him to the Vet.... it's possible.. Toxoplasmosis from possibly the dead baby Rabbits I have been discovering!

Inside cats hardly ever get this.... & we don't do litter boxes... so my cats always tell ya when they want to go out!

Now I discover... that it can even stay in the dust... or fur...

Here is what I Found on Toxoplasmosis itself:
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/toxoplasmosis.html

But My General Practitioner says That THis is NOT Good With HCV, & talking about Heart, Liver damage.... Site & brain tumors.. YIKES... talking about Granulomas...

So I'll let ya'll know what I find out... but this is one of those things I certainly never heard of... & maybe we all need to be aware of!!!
:)

[Sam Hall]

Congrats for completing such a long time on tx. My understanding is that for the most part the post 1year test is the one to look to.If you feel tired well why shouldn't you,you just put your body through one hell of a pasting give it a chance .Sure if you really want to push for a pcr it will be all or nothing. If they say your posative you know where you stand if not then you still have to wait till the 12mnth to be sure.Be tired you derserve it but carry on dinking the water and taking care of that beautiful organ by being gentle with it.
Sam

[karley]

Can anyone give advice. I got through with 48 wk treatment late July. It took a couple of months to feel better. By end of September I felt great. Now I feel rotten. Tired all the time. My doc didn't want me to come back for final test until Jan, but I worry that I need to get tested now. Maybe this is normal, to feel like this, and not a return of anything. How can I persuade them I feel like I should get tested now. They are overwhelmed with patients and not enough staff. Thanks for the space to ask!

[Astrolady]

When I was pregnant with my first child, I had heard that toxoplasmosis could lead to fetal blindness, so I took my cat to the vet, a blood test ruled it out, of course they have to take blood from the cats vein which isn't a lot of fun.

[MichaelT]

The only thing I can find is mention that if you have HCV you are at greater risk for certain other infections, toxoplasmosis being one of them.

TP may be linked to hard to treat depression.

There are articles to be had TP/Aids. I don't know how much light they can shed on TP/Hcv.