If you have any additional questions or for more information regarding OTIS , contact the Teratology Information Service in your area. With every pregnancy, all women have a 3 to 5 percent chance to have a baby with a birth defect. I am pregnant and have just found out that I have recently been infected with toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii . You can get it by eating undercooked, infected meat, or handling soil or cat feces that contain the parasite.
Most adults have no symptoms.
In most cases, once you have gotten toxoplasmosis, you cannot get it again. Women who have outdoor cats, have recently gotten cats, clean litter boxes, eat undercooked meat, garden, or who have had a recent mononucleosis-type illness are at increased risk. In the United States, approximately two-thirds of women have never had toxoplasmosis and are at risk for an infection. A blood test can determine if you have ever had toxoplasmosis. Ideally, testing for toxoplasmosis should be done prior to conception.