Risk and other factors associated with toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis in pregnant women from southern Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis causes complications during pregnancy that have serious effects on fetal development. Thus far, toxocariasis has been reported to spread only via vertical transmission. Nonetheless, the population of pregnant women is also exposed to this infection. Co-infection with both Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. has been reported in children, but there are no reports of co-infection in the population of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of co-infection with T. gondii and Toxocara spp. in pregnant women at a university hospital in southern Brazil, and to identify the risk factors associated with infection by both parasites. Two hundred pregnant women were tested for the presence of anti-T. gondii and anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies and were asked to complete an epidemiological questionnaire. In this study, the co-infection rate observed in the total population of pregnant women was 8%. In addition, women with a positive result for a serology test for Toxocara spp. were at increased risk of infection by T. gondii (P = 0.019). Co-infection with both parasites in pregnant women was associated with low birth weights in neonates. The similar modes of transmission of both parasites could explain the co-infection. Only a few previous studies have investigated this phenomenon. The findings of the present study emphasize the importance of serological diagnosis during prenatal care and further research in this area to identify risk factors associated with this co-infection, and the possible implications of this co-infection during pregnancy and on the health of newborns.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. infections among pregnant women with and without previous abortions in the west of Iran

“…Co‐infection with both T. gondii and Toxocara spp. found in this study (9.5%) was similar to that reported by Santos et al . in 2015, who detected a rate of 8% among pregnant women in Brazil.…”

Human Toxocariasis: 2010 to 2020 Contributions from Brazilian Researchers

“…This coinfection was associated with neonates with low birth weights. 48,49 Frequent contact with soil or with dogs and cats has been identified as a risk for human Toxocara infection, especially in children. 18,29,31,33,36,40 According to Colli et al, 27 contact with the soils of recreational areas of schools is a higher risk of Toxocara infection in children than frequent contact with the soils of public squares.…”

Toxoplasma gondii Infection Is Associated with Low Birth Weight: Findings from an Observational Study among Rural Bangladeshi Women

“…Infection during pregnancy may lead to several fetal complications, including fatal and adverse outcomes of conception, such as abortion, stillbirth, intrauterine death, preterm delivery or congenital toxoplasmosis [ 3 ]. However, a causal relationship is heterogenic and inconclusive, since many other concurrent factors contribute in a different way to the development of these adverse and fatal outcomes [ 4 , 5 ], including low birth weight (LBW) among newborns [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Untreated toxoplasmosis may lead to serious clinical manifestations during childhood or early adulthood [ 11 ].…”