Toxoplastic Poo

February 24, 2008 12:05 PM

How long will the toxoplasmosis organism live in frozen feline feces? Does freezing kill it?
posted by kc0dxh to Science & Nature (3 answers total)

Best answer: From Cornell: "Tissue cysts can be destroyed by thoroughly cooking meat to an internal temperature of 70°C (158°F) for at least 15 to 30 minutes. Freezing and thawing, salting, smoking, or pickling will not reliably destroy cysts in meat."

I doubt it, cysts deep in the feces might make it. I've accidentally frozen bacteria at pretty cold temperatures without the stabilizing agents I was supposed to use, and there were a significant number of surviving bugs. Protozoa and E. coli are entirely different, but don't risk it.

You could umm... boil them for "15 to 30 minutes".
posted by Science! at 12:45 PM on February 24, 2008

The cysts that the cat passes in its feces will survive for a very long time, that's why the protozoan make them.
posted by Science! at 12:52 PM on February 24, 2008

Response by poster: Gotta love science. Thanks man. I was a bit distressed I couldn't find this myself.
posted by kc0dxh at 2:04 PM on February 24, 2008