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Toxoplasma is an organism that usually lives in cats and is found in soil, where it can remain viable for many months. It is excreted in cat feces, so litter trays are potentially a source of infection. Contaminated meat (those most commonly implicated are raw, cured and undercooked meats) and soil-covered vegetables are also a source of infection, so always wash your hands thoroughly after touching soil or raw meat. If gardening, wear rubber gloves.

Recently, it has been found that cats are not the most common source of toxoplasma infection. This may be because cats excrete toxoplasma in their feces only for the first two weeks after they have been infected for the first time. But wear rubber gloves when emptying a cat litter tray as a precaution.

This infection, which can pass from the mother to the developing baby in the womb, has many features in common with congenital rubella. Although it is often asymptomatic in healthy adults, it can sometimes cause particular problems in pregnancy. Toxoplasma infection in adults is usually symptomless or mild, presenting as a mild viral illness. If concerned, your doctor will take a blood test.

Infection of the baby is more likely to occur in later pregnancy, but the risk of damage at this stage is less than in early pregnancy, when it can be a cause of serious abnormalities or lead to miscarriage. However, it is uncommon for babies to be affected in the womb.

• Only about 1-10 out of every 10,000 newborn babies in Europe are infected.

• Overall, about 70 per cent of these infected babies have no associated problem, around ten per cent have eye problems and the remainder have similar problems to those seen with German measles infection.

If a toxoplasma infection is suspected in the baby, you will need regular ultrasound examinations and sometimes samples of the baby’s blood or amniotic fluid are required to diagnose. The infection can be treated with an antibiotic called spiramycin.