Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which is found worldwide, can affect human and animal health in different ways. This study aimed to estimate the infection prevalence in humans and to determine risk factors related to urban and rural areas in a municipality in the Brazilian Amazon where an outbreak had been registered. Blood samples for serological analysis were obtained, and interviews were performed to fill out an epidemiological questionnaire. A total of 1140 individuals were included, of which 70.6% (804/1140; 95% CI: 67.9–73.2%) were positive for IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies. In rural areas, the prevalence was 62.6% (95% CI: 58.9–66.3%), while in urban areas, it was 81.9% (95% CI: 78.4–85.4%). The risk of becoming infected in urban areas was 2.7 times higher (95% CI = 2.0–3.6%) than that in rural areas. When comparing the prevalence in the age group from 1 to 10 years in both areas, the rate was 28.6% (42/147; 95% CI: 21.3–35.9%) for rural areas and 69.4% (61/88; CI 95%: 59.7–79.0%) for urban areas. Therefore, it is concluded that parasite exposure starts in the first years of life in urban areas and that disordered urban area expansion may cause an increase in exposure to the different strains of T. gondii present in the Amazon.
Highlights
The estimated resident population is 25,999 inhabitants, 49% of whom live in the urban area, which is surrounded by rivers and forests, and the rest are distributed in rural areas
Previous studies investigated specific communities or areas, such as indigenous [14], riverside [15] and urban areas [6], and the present study evaluated the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and associated risk factors in individuals living in urban and rural areas, including riverside communities
This study showed the epidemiological profiles of T. gondii infection in urban and rural areas of a municipality in the Amazon, including remote areas and traditional communities
Summary
Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, affects humans and other homeothermic animals. Transmission usually occurs by consumption of undercooked meat from infected animals or food/water contaminated by oocysts. Vertical transmission can occur when a woman acquires the infection during pregnancy, causing congenital toxoplasmosis. Symptoms are normally characterized by fever, myalgia and adenomegaly, some individuals, especially immunocompromised individuals, develop ocular involvement and splenomegaly. Central nervous system involvement can occur, resulting in ocular lesions and microcephaly [1]. In these cases, treatment is crucial, even in subclinical infections, for reducing the severity of the disease
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