Undercooked meat causes toxoplasmosis in pregnancy

Cook A et al. Sources of toxoplasma infection in pregnant women: European multicentre case-control study. British Medical Journal 2000; 321: 142-147

Eating undercooked, raw or cured meat during pregnancy is the main risk factor for toxoplasma infection, a study has concluded.

In Europe, congenital toxoplasmosis affects between one and 10 in 10,000 newborn babies, of whom one to two per cent develop learning difficulties or die and four to 27 per cent develop permanent vision impairment. Effective prevention depends on avoidance of...