Elevated Toxoplasma gondii Infection Rates for Retinas from Eye Banks, Southern Brazil.

Alessandra G Commodaro,Michael E Grigg,Melissa Chiasson,Rubens Belfort,Natarajan Sundar,Luiz Vicente Rizzo

doi:10.3201/eid2204.141819

Abstract

We found significantly higher incidence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in eye bank specimens from Joinville in southern Brazil (13/15, 87%) than in São Paulo (3/42, 7%; p = 2.1 × 10E–8). PCR DNA sequence analysis was more sensitive at locus NTS2 than at locus B1; a high frequency of mixed co-infections was detected.

Highlights

We found significantly higher incidence of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in eye bank specimens from Joinville in southern Brazil (13/15, 87%) than in São Paulo (3/42, 7%; p = 2.1 × 10E–8)
When parasites migrate to the eye, ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) can occur; this potentially blinding disease causes a high incidence of uveitis worldwide [1]
We investigated the incidence of OT in a random population in Brazil and determined the sensitivity of 3 PCR diagnostic markers used for detecting parasite DNA and genotype

Summary

Introduction

We investigated the incidence of OT in a random population in Brazil and determined the sensitivity of 3 PCR diagnostic markers used for detecting parasite DNA and genotype. To determine updated infection prevalence rates, we obtained 114 eyes collected during 2009 from eye banks in 2 disease-endemic regions of Brazil with different OT incidence rates, the south (Joinville, n = 15) and southeast (São Paulo, n = 42) (Figure 2). Specimens from 3 (7.1%) of 42 donors from São Paulo tested positive at NTS2 (online Technical Appendix Table, http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/EID/article/22/4/15-1192Techapp1.pdf), similar to the incidence rate determined among the eyes examined macroscopically in 1985 and consistent with previously published work [7].

Results

Conclusion