Preventing Toxoplasmosis

Prevention tips

Everyone can take steps to reduce their risk of toxoplasmosis.

Food precautions

Use a food thermometer to cook food to a safe internal temperature high enough to kill Toxoplasma. Cooking meat to the USDA recommended internal temperature is the safest method to prevent infection. You cannot tell if food is safely cooked by checking its color or texture (except for seafood). Do not sample meat until it is cooked. The US government and the meat industry continue their efforts to reduce T. gondii in meat.

The USDA recommends the following for meat preparation:

Whole cuts of meat (not including poultry)

• Cook to at least 145° F (63° C) as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat. Allow the meat to rest* for three minutes before carving or consuming.

Fish with fins

• Cook to at least 145°F or cook until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.

Ground meat (not including poultry)

• Cook to at least 160° F (71° C). Ground meats do not require a rest time.

All poultry (whole cuts and ground)

• Cook to at least 165° F (74° C). The internal temperature should be checked in the innermost part of the thigh, innermost part of the wing, and the thickest part of the breast. Poultry do not require a rest time.

* According to USDA, "A 'rest time' is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature, after it has been removed from a grill, oven, or other heat source. During the three minutes after meat is removed from the heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys pathogens."

Additional food precautions

• Freeze meat for several days at sub-zero (0° F) temperatures before cooking to greatly reduce chance of infection. Freezing does not reliably kill other parasites that may be found in meat (like certain species of Trichinella) or harmful bacteria.
• Rinse fruit and vegetables under running water.
• Do not drink unpasteurized goat's milk.
• Do not eat raw or undercooked oysters, mussels, or clams (these may be contaminated with Toxoplasma that has washed into seawater).

Cleanliness practices

• Wash utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item.
• Teach children the importance of washing hands to prevent infection.
• Wear gloves when gardening or touching soil or sand that cat feces containing Toxoplasma may have contaminated.
• Wash hands with soap and water any time you touch something, including soil or sand, that cat feces containing Toxoplasma may have contaminated.

Environmental practices

• Avoid drinking untreated water.
• Wear gloves when gardening or when touching any soil or sand that may be contaminated with cat feces containing Toxoplasma. Wash your hands with soap and water after gardening or contact with soil or sand.
• Cover outdoor sandboxes.
• Only feed cats canned or dried commercial food or well-cooked table food. Do not feed cats raw or undercooked meats.
• Change the cat litter box daily. The Toxoplasma parasite does not become infectious until 1 – 5 days after a cat shed it in its feces. By cleaning the litter box every day, you remove the feces before they become infectious.