Can I get toxoplasmosis from brief contact with kittens?

I am 7 months pregnant and my niece just brought 2 barn kittens over to my house. I petted the kittens and they sat on my couch and walked around a little bit. They did not pee or poop while here. I washed my hands thoroughly after they left. Is it possible to get the disease from this sort of contact? I am worried b/c they are barncats that have not had any medical care yet. Also, I have never had a cat, so it is very unlikely that I have ever had the disease before.

Can I get toxoplasmosis from brief contact with kittens?
I too am 7 months pregnant. I was really worried about toxoplasmosis when i first got my kitten. I spoke to the vet about it, and he told me in order for you to get it you have to change the cat's litter, get a small spore on your hand and then actually touch your mouth and get the spore in your mouth. So it is very unlikely that you could have contracted it from petting them/ playing with them. Unless they had some poo on them and you touched it and then touched your mouth. Also cats only carry toxoplasmosis for 3 weeks and after those 3 weeks they will no longer shed it in there poo anymore. Hope that helps you. You have nothing to worry about. I also read that most pregnant women that got toxoplasmosis didn't even get it from a cat, they got it from eating raw meat/ touching raw meat w/out washing hands.
Reply:You can only catch it from feces. like changing litter boxes or cleaning animal elimination with your bare hands.
Reply:no worries. It is extremely rare to contact this disease. If you do not intermingle with the feces of a kitty you are okay. If you are changing little boxes, a good cleaning of the hands afterwords goes a long way to prevent this condition.
Reply:The bacteria is found mostly in fecal matter. Petting the cat's fur is unlikely for transmittal. And even if you did come into contact with the bacteria, you did the right thing to wash your hands. And even if you had it on your hands, you'd have to injest it for it to harm the baby. Oh, and you're far enough along now that small exposure to the bacteria wouldn't do as much harm as it would in the first trimester. Rest easy tonight.
Reply:I don't think you have anything to worry about. It is my understanding that you are at risk if you clean a litter box and therefore pregnant women should avoid that if possible.
Reply:Toxoplasmosis


How do people get toxoplasmosis?





A Toxoplasma infection occurs by:





* Accidentally swallowing cat feces from a Toxoplasma-infected cat that is shedding the organism in its feces. This might happen if you were to accidentally touch your hands to your mouth after gardening, cleaning a cat's litter box, or touching anything that has come into contact with cat feces. Eating contaminated raw or partly cooked meat, especially pork, lamb, or venison; by touching your hands to your mouth after handling undercooked meat.


* Contaminating food with knives, utensils, cutting boards and other foods that have had contact with raw meat.


* Drinking water contaminated with Toxoplasma.


* Receiving an infected organ transplant or blood transfusion, though this is rare.