Treatment and Prevention
The treatment most frequently used against toxoplasmosis is a mixture of
the antimalarial medication pyrimethamine* and the medication sulfadiazine,
which belongs to the class of antibiotics known as sulfonamides.
There are a few minor variations on this theme, but treatment is basically similar
for babies, healthy adults, and people with AIDS.
People suffering from ocular toxoplasmosis take the same mix plus a
corticosteroid medication. Even then, eye problems are likely to recur, and
it takes constant vigilance to catch new flare-ups early and prevent slow deterioration
of eyesight.
Pregnant women who become infected are not normally treated unless they have
dangerous or severe symptoms, which few do. This is because the medications
pose a considerable risk to the fetus.
Preventing toxoplasmosis requires cooking food thoroughly, to at least 66°C
(150°F). Your risk is higher if you own a cat or eat the following foods:
- game meats (such as venison)
- hamburger
- lamb
- unpasteurized milk
Commercial tap water filters aren't designed to protect against tiny microbes
like Toxoplasma, so the water supply remains a possible source of infection
unless you buy bottled water. If you have a cat, and you are pregnant, it is
recommended that you do not handle cat feces (change the litter box) for the
duration of your pregnancy.
*All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name
is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®).
The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen).
A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article
lists medications by their common names. For more information on brand names,
speak with your doctor or pharmacist.