People catch the infection when they get the parasite in their mouths. This can happen when cleaning cat litter, or through contaminated food, water, or dust.
Children can catch toxoplasmosis by playing in sandboxes where cats have defecated.
People can also catch toxoplasmosis from eating infected meat that is undercooked. People don't spread the infection to other people except when a mother catches toxoplasmosis during pregnancy and passes it to her unborn baby. Toxoplasmosis is a very severe infection for unborn babies and for people with immune system problems Unborn babies catch this parasite from their mothers. This can happen if the mother is infected during pregnancy, especially during the first three months. Unborn babies are at risk of severe infection that may result in mental retardation, blindness, or death.