Toxoplasmosis is an illness caused by an organism which has been found in raw meat, soil and cat faeces. If caught by a pregnant woman it can seriously affect the unborn baby but it is also very rare and is reported to affect approximately 1 in 50,000 pregnancies.

Pregnant women are therefore advised to:

• Wear rubber gloves when emptying cat litter trays, or get someone else to do it
• Wash hands after handling cats or kittens
• Wear gloves whilst gardening
• Wash vegetables and salads thoroughly to remove any soil or dirt
• Wash hands after handling raw meat
• Thoroughly cook meat
• Not help with lambing or milk ewes that have recently given birth