Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a globally distributed parasitic zoonosis, affecting approximately one third of the human population. Epidemiological studies on toxoplasmosis conducted in Serbia so far have been focused on women of childbearing age, without a clear insight into the prevalence in the general population. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of the healthy adult population consisting of 1095 blood donors of both genders to establish the prevalence and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection. Data on the demographic and clinical characteristics of all study participants, as well as on their lifestyle habits, were collected by means of a questionnaire. The overall prevalence of infection was 20.5% (224/1095) and the avidity of the specific IgG antibodies detected was high in a vast majority of the seropositive donors (98.2%). Interestingly, the remaining 1.8% of the specific IgG positive samples were of borderline avidity (4/224), in complete absence of specific IgM. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that independent risk factors included age (from OR (95% CI) 1.9 (1.13–3.28) in the 30–39 age group, to 6.8 (3.27–14.24) in the age group of >60 years), suburban living (OR (95% CI) 2.2 (1.43–3.34)) and contact with soil (OR (95% CI) 1.4 (1.01–1.94)). This first large-scale study on toxoplasmosis in the general population in Serbia shows the lowest prevalence ever reported in this country. Moreover, the novel perspective on risk factors provides an updated basis for future prevention programs.
Highlights
Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide omnipresent parasitic disease, caused by the obligately intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii
Specific IgG antibodies were detected in 224/1095 healthy blood donors, indicating an overall prevalence of T. gondii infection of 20.5%
Male donors living in the suburban communities of the city were more likely to be infected than those living in the urban ones (p < 0.001), as were men working with soil (p < 0.001)
Summary
Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide omnipresent parasitic disease, caused by the obligately intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. The life cycle of T. gondii involves members of the Felidae family, as the definitive host, and warm-blooded animals, including humans, as intermediate hosts. Humans become infected mainly by consumption of water or fruits and vegetables contaminated with oocysts, or by ingestion of tissue cysts in the undercooked or raw meat of infected animals [1]. Even though viable parasites may be transmitted via the placenta or transplanted organs, the possibility of transmission via blood transfusion is insufficiently documented, neglected. Reports on transmission of T. gondii by leukocyte or platelet transfusion are rare, though the parasite can preserve its viability for up to 50 days in citrated blood at 5 ◦ C [2,3,4]
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