Answer to Question 1
1
1. Correct. Cats who eat birds infected with the Toxoplasma gondii protozoan excrete infective oocysts. Humans (including pregnant women) can become infected if they fail to wash their hands after disposing of litterbox contents. Infected mothers pass it through the placenta.
2, 3, 4. Incorrect. Cats who eat birds infected with the Toxoplasma gondii protozoan excrete in-fective oocysts. Humans (including pregnant women) can become infected if they fail to wash their hands after disposing of litterbox contents. Infected mothers pass it through the placenta.
Answer to Question 2
2
1. Incorrect. Congenital (early onset) infections progress more rapidly than nosocomial (late onset) infections.
2. Correct. Handwashing is an effective preventive measure for late-onset (nosocomial) infections because they come from the environment around the infant. Early onset or conge-nital infections are caused by the normal flora at the maternal vaginal tract. Congenital (early onset) infections progress more rapidly than nosocomial (late onset) infections.
3. Incorrect. Infection occurs about twice as often in boys and results in higher mortality. Congenital (early onset) infections progress more rapidly than nosocomial (late onset) infec-tions.
4. Incorrect. Clinical signs of neonatal infection are nonspecific and similar to noninfectious problems, making diagnosis difficult. Congenital (early onset) infections progress more ra-pidly than nosocomial (late onset) infections.