Seroprevalence Of Toxoplasma Infection Research Articles

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection in individuals occupationally exposed to livestock and raw meat: A case-control study.

The expectancy of Toxoplasma gondii transmitted from livestock and raw meat to humans is a public health problem and is an example of the One Health theory. This survey aimed to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors related to this common infection in individuals occupationally exposed (IOE) to livestock, raw meat and viscera in industrial slaughterhouses and livestock fields in Isfahan province, central Iran. This study is a case-control survey carried out on the 401 serum samples of IOE (including slaughterhouse workers, butchers, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, livestock farmers and farm workers) compared to 401 archived samples of the general population (that all matched with cases by region, age and gender). All 802 samples were investigated for anti-T. gondii IgM and anti-T. gondii IgG using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A statistically significant higher anti-T. gondii IgG occurrence (p<0.001) was observed in IOE compared to the control group (46.1% vs. 31.4%). According to our knowledge, this is the first case-control study on the seroprevalence of anti-T. gondii in IOE to livestock in central Iran. These findings show a potentially significant association between T. gondii seropositivity and occupational exposure to livestock. Therefore, it is essential to develop guidelines for preventing disease transmission among IOE to livestock, raw meat and viscera in industrial slaughterhouses and livestock fields.

Credible Serological Evidence of Latent Toxoplasma Infection Among Women with Primary Infertility: A Ten-Year Registry-Based Study.

Some evidence reveled that chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) has recently been associated with infertility in human and experimental model. This baseline study aimed to investigate serological evidence of Toxoplasma infection among infertile women who admitted to the in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mazandaran province, Sari, northern Iran. In this retrospective (descriptive-analytical) study, all infertile women referred to the IVF clinic during 2010-2019 (10years), constitute the study population. All data including demographic and some related characteristics were collected into a questionnaire and registered at the Iranian National Registry Center for Toxoplasmosis (INRCT) at the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, northern Iran. The existence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies (IgG and IgM) was explored using a commercially available enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) kit (PishtazTeb, Iran), based on the manufacturer's protocol. Of 520 infertile women, anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM and both IgG and IgM antibodies were detected among 342/520 (65.77%), 1/520 (0.19) and 4/520 (0.77) infertile women, respectively. Primary and secondary infertility was detected in 74.56% and 25.44% of IgG seropositive infertile women, respectively. Also, most of the IgG seropositive subjects had no history of abortion, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO), fibroma, contraceptive use and varicocele in spouse as primary cause of infertility. Furthermore, serum levels of prolactin and antimullerian (AMH) hormones were normal in 81.29 and 80.12% of infertile women with anti- T. gondii IgG, respectively. There was also a statistically significant difference between the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection and these variables associated to primary infertility (P < 0.05). According to the high prevalence (about two thirds) of chronic T. gondii infection among infertile women, particularly those with a history of abortion and primary infertility, it can be concluded that latent Toxoplasma infection pose a risk to infertile woman in the study area. Therefore, we advise that screening and treatment of Toxoplasma infection among infertile women must be favorably considered.

Toxoplasmosis among Patients with Cancers and Blood Disorders in Iran: Serological Evaluation, Risk Factors and Comparison with Healthy Individuals

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that causes toxoplasmosis in humans and warmblooded animals. In this study, we explored the risk factors and seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection among cancer patients and patients with blood cell disorders in Iran. We collected serum samples from each participant include 600 clinically healthy individuals, 127 patients with different types of cancer, 294 patients with red blood cell disorders, and 101 patients with white blood cell disorders and tested for anti-Toxoplasma antibodies (IgG and IgM) using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay kits and analyzed the results statistically.Out of the 1122 participants,seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis among all patients with different disorders, patients with white blood cell disorders, patients with red blood cell disorders and patients with different types of cancer 9.97, 17.82, 11.57 and 7.09 were reported respectiveiy.Awareness campaign to educate blood cell disorders patients regarding contact with pets is salient to the reduction of the Toxoplasma burden. In addition, it is pertinent to screen patients with cancers to rule out Toxoplasma infections. © 2021, Islamic Azad University. All rights reserved.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in women with recurrent fetal loss from the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

In women with a bad obstetric history (BOH), infection is an established cause of recurrent fetal loss. A common infecting agent is the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in women with recurrent fetal loss from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The study included 360 females aged 16-40 years, of which 180 had a bad obstetric history (study group) and the other 180 had no such history (control group). Blood serum samples were tested for toxoplasma IgM antibodies by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay and for toxoplasma IgG antibodies using an Immunochromatographic technique. The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasma infection in study group females was 40.6% and in control group females it was 7.2%. Specifically, IgM prevalence was 12.8% in the study group and 1.1% in the control group. IgG prevalence was 23.9% in the study group and 6.1% in the control group. IgM and IgG combined prevalence was 3.9% in the study group cases. There is a statistically significant association between BOH and seropositivity for T. gondii (p < 0.0001, Chi square test). Various risk factors associated with T. gondii seroprevalence in study and control groups were analyzed. The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was significantly higher in women with a bad obstetric history compared to those with no such history. Associated risk factors had no significant effects on the results.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Β-Thalassemia Major Pediatric Population: Implications for Transfusion Transmissible Toxoplasmosis.

Children with β-thalassemia major who regularly receive blood transfusion are at risk of developing transfusion-transmitted infection. Toxoplasmosis is a common and a serious parasitic disease with high prevalence and could be transmitted through blood transfusion from healthy asymptomatic donors. However, screening Toxoplasma gondii before blood donation has not been considered. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of T. gondii antibodies among thalassemia children undergoing blood transfusion. In a case-control study, serum samples from 211 thalassemia children and 100 control children were investigated for Toxoplasma IgM and IgG using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Positive serum samples for IgG antibodies to T. gondii were further subjected to IgG avidity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection among thalassemia children was 23.2% and 53.6% for IgM and IgG anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, respectively. Whereas in the control group, the prevalence was 5% and 18% for IgM and IgG anti-Toxoplasma antibodies, respectively. There is a significant statistical difference between thalassemia and control groups regarding the prevalence of toxoplasmosis. From these positive IgG samples, 65.5% have low avidity indicating recent infection while 38.73% have high avidity indicating past infection. Due to the high serologic infection rate of toxoplasmosis among thalassemia pediatric population in this study with no existing effective therapies and no available T. gondii vaccine, appropriate strategies are critical for reducing the risk of that infection. Screening of blood for T. gondii antibodies should be considered before transmission to those children especially in countries with a high prevalence of toxoplasmosis.

Seroprevalence of IgM and IgG antibodies to toxoplasma infection in human immunodeficiency virus-positive antiretroviral therapy-naive individuals

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease infecting about one-third of the world's population, is caused by intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It is a major health concern in immunocompromised individuals as in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients. The aim of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among HIV-infected antiretroviral therapy-naive individuals attending Integrated Counseling and Testing Center. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at a tertiary care hospital between April 2015 and March 2016 on 400 HIV-positive patients and 100 HIV-negative healthy adults. Anti-toxoplasma IgM and IgG antibodies were detected using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Sociodemographic and associated risk factors for T. gondii infection were obtained and the data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. Results: Seroprevalence of anti-toxoplasma antibodies among 400 HIV-positive patients and 100 HIV-negative healthy adults was 19.75% and 11%, respectively. Majority of seropositive individuals were in the childbearing age groups. Out of 79 toxoplasma-seropositive cases, 10 were clinically confirmed cases of toxoplasma encephalitis (TE). The mean CD4+ T-lymphocyte count of HIV-positive patients was 255.32 ± 221.19 cells/cmm. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of toxoplasma infection is significantly higher in HIV-positive patients than in HIV-negative healthy individuals. It is important to test all HIV-positive patients for toxoplasma antibodies to prevent life-threatening complication and TE in these patients.

Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection among pregnant women in public hospital in Khoy, Northwest of Iran, 2015–2017

Aims: Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite and congenital transmission, abortion, and prenatal mortality are major problems of this parasite. This study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection in the pregnant women, referring to Khoy Public Hospital, Iran, during 2015–2017. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 3 ml of venous blood were taken from 1060 pregnant women and centrifuged; the collected sera were kept in a freezer at -20°C until testing. Then, samples were examined for the presence of IgG and IgM Toxoplasma antibodies using Autobio ELISA kit according to manufacturer's instructions. Data analysis was done using Chi-square test and SPSS-10 software. Results: Among 1060 serum samples of pregnant women, 38.2% were positive for anti-T. gondii antibodies. IgG and IgM titers of antibodies to T. gondii were positive in 36.6% and 1.2% of women, respectively. The incidence in women older than 30 years was 49.3%. The positive rate of IgG of pregnant women increased with age (P < 0.05). In women who were living in the village, the prevalence was 45.5% and in urban women, it was 21.5%; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The relatively high prevalence of T. gondii infection in this study showed that pregnant women infected with this parasite at an early age and it is important for pregnant women to prevent irreversible complications in neonates.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and associated risk factors among children in Shandong and Jilin provinces, China

Infection by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is generally prevalent in animals and humans worldwide. However, little is known about T. gondii infection among children in China. Thus, the present study was conducted to detect the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and estimate associated risk factors among children in eastern China. A cross-sectional study of 1500 children from three cities (Changchun, Qingdao, Weihai) was conducted between May 2013 and July 2014 to estimate the seroprevalence and potential risk factors associated with acquiring T. gondii infection in children in China. Demographic and blood samples were collected, and anti-T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies were measured by ELISA. The mean age of the 1500 children participating in the study was 9.03 years (range 1-18). The overall seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection was 15.13%, of which 13.13% were positive for only anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies, 3.13% were positive for both anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies and 2.00% were IgM positive and IgG negative. Moreover, raising cats at home (OR=1.94, 95% CI=1.288-2.912, P=0.002) and hand washing habits (OR=0.38, 95% CI=0.230-0.635, P<0.001) were estimated to be risk and protective factors associated with Toxoplasma seroprevalence, respectively. The present study revealed for the first time that children's infection with T. gondii is common in eastern China. The present data indicate a need to implement methods of prevention and control measures against Toxoplasma infection in China.

Sero-Epidemiology of Toxoplasmosis among the People of Khorram Abad, Iran

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic, zoonotic pathogen with a worldwide distribution. There are large variations in the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection in different regions of the world. Although toxoplasmosis became a notifiable sectional study aimed to survey the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection and its risk factors among people in Khorram Abad. In the present study, simple random sampling was carried out on the referents to 6 medical diagnostic laboratories (from among the 9 laboratories available in the city). The tests were performed on the 1000 blood serum samples using the IFA (immunofluorescent antibody assay) method and the effects of three variables including place of residence, occupation, and marital status were considered. Of the 1000 Khorram Abad studied, 831 (83.1%) were positive for Anti-T. gondii IgG antibody and 169 (16.9%) were negative. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection did vary with residency, material status, and occupation (P<0.05). Our results demonstrate serological evidence of Toxoplasma exposure among Khorram Abad which may be impacting their health. Results of this first study of Toxoplasma infection in Khorram Abad may be useful for the design of optimal preventive measures against infection with Toxoplasma.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection in stored sera of HIV individual in Sokoto, Nigeria

An investigation was carried out to determine the prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that cause toxoplasmosis among HIV positive individuals in Sokoto, Nigeria. Twenty-two (26.1%) of the 84 HIV screened positive sera had antibody to T. gondii infection. Lower titer of 1:4 occurred in 2(9.1%) of the sera, and the sera from patients that were in the age group 50-59 had the highest prevalence (33.3%). Based on the value of the IgG obtained with enzyme Immunosorbent Assay (EIA), using the ImmunoComb ® IgG(Orgenics) the concentration of >50 IU/ml were observed among 14 (63.6%) of the sera sampled, an indication of chronic phase of toxoplasmosis. These results showed that the HIV sero-negative patients need to be adequately counseled on the prevention of toxoplasmosis and any other infections that can always aggravate the illness and to initiate appropriate prophylaxis.

Toxoplasma gondii infection in women of childbearing age of Isfahan, Iran: A population-based study

Background:We conducted an epidemiological survey on seroprevalence of toxoplasma infection in women of childbearing age in Isfahan Province.Materials and Methods:In a cross-sectional study in 2010, 217 women in the age range of 10–50 years were randomly selected. The blood samples examined for the presence of IgG anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibody by a commercial ELISA kit (Dia-Pro, Milan, Italy). Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were employed to examine the antibody status in different age, marriage, education, and residence groups.Results:The overall prevalence was 47.5% (103/217). The peak age of infection acquisition was in the range 30–40 years in rural areas and 20–30 years in urban districts. There was no significant association between residence, education, and marriage groups on the one hand and chance of T. gondii infection on the other hand.Conclusions:The findings of the study suggest a moderate prevalence of T. gondii infection, but a high prevalence in ages of high reproductive activities.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection among pregnant women in Bahia, Brazil

Infection by Toxoplasma gondii represents a risk to fetal development during pregnancy. In this study, the serological profile of pregnant women from different regions of Bahia, Brazil, was determined. Tests were conducted at LACEN-BA (Salvador, Brazil). The mean age of the women was 24.5 years (±7.41 years) and 56.4% were positive for IgG and negative for IgM specific for T. gondii. Seronegative women represented 35.9% of the total (IgG- and IgM-negative) and inconclusive results comprised 4%. Differences were observed in distinct regions. Therefore, a preventive action must be reinforced in specific regions aimed at early diagnosis to minimise the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis development.

Toxoplasma gondii infection and abdominal hernia: evidence of a new association

BackgroundWe performed a retrospective, observational study in 1156 adult subjects from the general population of Durango City, Mexico, Fifty five subjects with a history of abdominal hernia repair and 1101 subjects without hernia were examined with enzyme-linked immunoassays for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies.ResultsThe seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies and IgG titers was significantly higher in subjects with abdominal hernia repair than those without hernia. There was a tendency for subjects with hernia repair to have a higher seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies than subjects without hernia. The seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies in subjects with hernia repair was significantly higher in subjects ≥ 50 years old than those < 50 years old. Further analysis in subjects aged ≥ 50 years showed that the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies was also significantly higher in individuals with hernia repair than those without hernia (OR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.10-6.57). Matching by age and sex further showed that the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection was significantly higher in patients with hernia repair than those without hernia (OR: 4.50; 95% CI: 1.22-17.33).ConclusionsResults indicate that infection with Toxoplasma is associated with abdominal hernia. The contributing role of infection with Toxoplasma in abdominal hernia was observed mainly in subjects aged ≥ 50 years old. Our results might have clinical, prevention and treatment implications and warrant for further investigation.

Sero-prevalence of latent Toxoplasma gondii infection among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected people in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundToxoplasmosis in immuno-compromised hosts manifests primarily as a life threatening condition, toxoplasmic encephalitis. However, there is scarce information about the magnitude of Toxoplasma gondii infection among HIV-infected people in Ethiopia. This study was, therefore, conducted to determine the sero-prevalence of T. gondii infection among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected subjects.FindingsSera were collected from people with and without HIV infection for the purpose of studying hepatitis B virus (HBV) at St. Paul Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 24 January 2007 to 15 February 2007. Among these sera, the first 330 consecutive sera, 165 from each HIV sero-group, were selected and tested for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection was assessed against socio-demographic characteristics, HIV and HBV serostatus and HBV-related risk factors. The overall sero-prevalence of latent T. gondii infection among the study subjects was 90.0%. Toxoplasma infection was observed with respective prevalence of 93.3% and 86.7% among HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected people. Though Toxoplasma infection seems to be influenced by age, gender and HIV serostatus, only HBV serostatus was significantly associated (OR 2.71, CI 1.12 to 6.57) in multivariate logistic regression analysis.ConclusionThe seroprevalence of latent T. gondii infection is high and similar by HIV status. Educating people to prevent acquisition of new Toxoplasma infection and minimizing the risk of disease manifestations among HIV-Toxoplasma co-infected individuals is important.

Seroprevalence and sources of Toxoplasma infection among indigenous and immigrant pregnant women in Taiwan.

Investigation on seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infections among indigenous and immigrant pregnant women in Mid-Taiwan showed that anti Taxoplasma-specific IgG antibody counts were significantly higher in indigenes (40.6%) than in immigrants (18.2%), with an odds ratio of OR=3.34 (95% CI: 1.93-4.80). The titre of Taxoplasma-specific IgG was also significantly higher in indigenes than in immigrants (P<0.001). Differences of living styles for Toxoplasma infection between the two groups were drinking untreated water (OR=2.34, 95% CI: 1.36-4.02), consumption of raw/undercooked meats (OR=10.11 95% CI: 4.92-20.78), especially raw/undercooked pork (P=0.000), or raw/undercooked viscera (OR=9.16, 95% CI: 2.97-27.94), contact with cats (OR=5.69, 95% CI: 2.83-11.47), or soil (OR=2.55 95% CI: 1.72-3.80). Differences of risk factors for Toxoplasma infection in terms of positive IgG in the two groups were consumption of raw/undercooked meats (P=0.005) especially raw/undercooked pork (P=0.004), and contact with cats (P=0.013) or soil (P=0.028). It is concluded that seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection is higher in indigenous pregnant women and related to their living styles. To prevent congenital toxoplasmosis, health education seems required.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma Infection Among Pregnant Women in Lebanon

Usta, Ihab M. MD; Seoud, Muhieddine A. F. MD; Maarouf, Huda H. MD; Hobeika, Elie M. MD; Nassar, Anwar H. MD Author Information

Evaluation of the Eiken latex agglutination test for anti- Toxoplasma antibodies and seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection among factory workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Sera from 170 factory workers aged 18–45 years enrolled in a pilot study of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, were screened for anti- Toxoplasma immunoglobulin G antibodies by the Sabin-Feldman test (reference standard) and the Eiken latex agglutination test (under evaluation for use in developing countries). Based on the Sabin-Feldman test, the prevalence of anti- Toxoplasma antibodies was 80·0% (95% confidence interval 73·9–86·1%). The sensitivity and specificity of the Eiken latex agglutination test were 96·3% and 97·1%, respectively, showing its validity for the detection of anti- Toxoplasma antibodies. The prevalence of antibodies did not differ between individuals infected and uninfected with HIV-1 (74·2% versus 83·3%, P>0·05). However, antibody titres were higher in HIV-infected persons than in those who were uninfected ( P < 0·001). Based on these findings, we expect that toxoplasmic encephalitis will be a common opportunistic infection among HIV-infected Ethiopians, and chemoprophylaxis with co-trimoxazole may be beneficial to those with low CD4+ T cell counts. The prognostic significance of high titres of anti- Toxoplasma antibodies remains to be established among Ethiopian HIV-infected individuals.

Sero-Prevalence ofToxoplasmainfection in human and dog population in Shiraz, Iran

Abstract Shad-Del, F., Sarvestani, R. G. and Milani, M. S. 1993. Sero-prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in human and dog population in Shiraz, Iran. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 3: 83–89. Sero-prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in human beings by indirect fluorescent antibody technique and dogs by Sabin-Feldman dye test, of Shiraz and its suburbs was studied Out of 225 human serum samples examined, 21.3% were found positive showing the serum titers 1:64 to 1:1024. Persons with close contacts with animals i.e., farmers, butchers and cat owners showed maximum infection. Agewise, those in the age group of 18–27 years showed higher infection (35.7%). Sex differences were not significant. Out of 100 dogs examined, 31(31.0%) were positive for T. gondii. Of these 41.8% strary and 9.1% pet dogs were positive. The dogs above 3years of age showed highest (57.14%) injection rate and like human beings, sex of dogs did not affect infection rate. The high infection rate in stray dogs might pose serious public health pr...