Abstract
Background: Toxoplasma gondii infections cause serious complications in HIV-infected pregnant women, leading to miscarriages, stillbirths, birth defects such as mental retardation, blindness, epilepsy, and could favour or enhance the mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Worldwide, 30% of the population have antibodies to the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and about 36.7 million people are infected with HIV, however little is known about the prevalence of co-infection of Toxoplasma gondii and HIV in pregnancy. We report co-infection of Toxoplasma gondii and HIV in pregnant women in Mali. Methods: Toxoplasma gondii anti- IgG, IgM and HIV Combi PT serology were performed in sera from pregnant women using the Elecsys system. The HIV genotyping was performed using the Tri-DOT technique. Results: One pregnant woman out of 247 screened was anti-Toxoplasma IgM positive and HIV type I positive. An anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM positive reading is an indication of an acute/current infection. Conclusion: This suggests there is active toxoplasmosis transmission and therefore a possible risk for congenital infections in Bamako. HIV infection being endemic in Mali may accentuate toxoplasmosis pathology in this region. Toxoplasmosis surveillance and awareness are therefore necessary in Bamako to stem the scourge of this neglected infection.
Highlights
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that can infect most warm-blooded animals including humans, and causes serious and life-threatening disease in developing foetuses and immune-compromised people [1, 2]
30% of the population are living with antibodies to the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and about 36.7 million people are infected with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [9, 10]
We reported a co-infection of T. gondii and HIV infection in a pregnant Malian woman
Summary
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that can infect most warm-blooded animals including humans, and causes serious and life-threatening disease in developing foetuses and immune-compromised people [1, 2]. T. gondii and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection is known to be fatal and devastating [3]. An active HIV infection is known to weaken the immune system opening the door for opportunistic infections to affect the body [4]. Women are more susceptible to these teratogenic infections during gestation, a period when these infections can cause damages [9] to the foetus when not diagnosed and treated early. 30% of the population are living with antibodies to the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii and about 36.7 million people are infected with HIV [9, 10]. Little is known about the prevalence of co-infection of acute Toxoplasma infection and HIV in pregnancy in West Africa and especially at Bamako in Mali. The CD4 (750 cells/μL) of the patient was found to be normal
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