Advice for the Pregnant Gardener

A friend of mine recently mentioned to me that after she became pregnant, she was advised not to do any gardening. I was curious so I did a little research to find out why. According to Utah State University Extension (https://extension.usu.edu/archive/gardening-caution-urged-for-pregnant-women), garden soil may contain a protozoan organism called toxoplasma. Toxoplasma can infect human bodies and cause a disease known as toxoplasmosis. This disease causes symptoms similar to that of the flu, such as swollen lymph glands or muscle aches and pains that last a month or longer. In addition, if the organism infects the womb of a pregnant woman, it can cause mental disabilities and/or eye damage to the developing baby.

Outdoor cats that eat mice can harbor the toxoplasma protozoa and shed it in their feces. If those same cats decide to use your garden as their litter box, they can very easily spread the disease.

In addition, toxoplasma can be transmitted through eating improperly cooked meat, or contamination of knives, utensils, cutting boards and other foods that have had contact with raw meat and through contaminated drinking water.

Utah State University Extension recommends that pregnant woman take the following precautions:

·???????? Always wear plastic or rubber gloves when gardening, and wash hands thoroughly when finished.

·???????? Have someone else empty the cat litter if you have a house cat. Always wash your hands after petting or handling a cat.

·???????? When preparing raw meat, wash cutting boards, sinks, knives and other utensils thoroughly with soap and hot water to avoid cross-contaminating other foods. Wash your hands well with soap and water after handling raw meat.

·???????? Cook all meat thoroughly and until it is no longer pink in the center or until the juices become colorless. Do not taste meat before it is fully cooked.

·???????? To help prevent your cat from becoming infected with toxoplasma, keep it indoors and feed it dry or canned cat food.

·???????? Try to keep cats out of garden areas. Repellents are available, but it is impossible to guarantee they will work. It is best to assume the area is contaminated and always wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly.

So let’s be careful in the garden, or when preparing meat. We want your babies to be born healthy and strong!