To Bill and Diane:
 
>Our comments about toxoplasmosis being a potential but remote problem in
>pregnant women in contact with a ferrets litter box have been questioned.
>As you were our original source of that idea would you mind commenting on
>that?
 
Remote would be an understatement.  Ferrets, like any other warm blooded
animal can contract toxoplasmosis by eating either the flesh of a
toxo-infeced animal (which would contain zoites, or immature organisms)
or by conimg in contact with and ingesting infective oocytes, which are
passed by cats.)
 
For a person to contract Toxo, they would likely have to eat poorly cooked
ferret meat, because ferrets cannot pass infective Toxo oocytes in their
feces.
 
Thus, ferrets pose minimal to imaginary risks to pregnant women for
contracting the disease.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3246]