ClinQuiz: Increase your zoonotic parasite prowess, answer 2B

2) B–Incorrect.

Cats shed oocysts in their feces for seven to 21 days after exposure, and most never shed oocysts again, even with reexposure.4 In addition, examination of fecal samples by centrifugation cannot provide assurance that a cat will not shed oocysts at some point in the future. Moreover, contact with or ownership of cats does not increase the risk of infection with T. gondii in people.8,9 Rather, people most frequently become infected when they ingest undercooked meat containing tissue cysts or soil, water, or produce contaminated with oocysts from a contaminated environment.4 Focusing only on the individual pet cat does not adequately reduce the overall risk for this client.

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