>Are ferrets just as likely to pass this on as cats?  If so, by what means
>is it passed from animal to human?  We recently had a pregnant friend stay
>with us (and our single ferret) and she says she has tested positive.  She
>owns a dog.
 
Not really.  Ferrets aren't intermediate hosts of the parasite, like cats
are.  Cats are a much more likely source, but an even more likely one
would be underdone meat.  It is passed from a live animal through fecal
material, but can also be gotten through infected meat.  Testing positive
is not necessarily a bad thing for the baby, as people can be exposed at
any time in their life.  The danger comes when a pregnant woman is exposed
for the first time early in their pregnancy.  My own sister tested
positive during her pregnancy - I've not been tested, but I suspect I am
positive.  Many people are.
 
Dr. Ruth
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Save lives - spay or neuter your pet.
[Posted in FML issue 3665]