Prevalence of seropositivity for toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in the Brazilian Federal District from 2014 to 2018

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is found worldwide and infects up to one third of the world population, an infection that can be fatal to the fetus during pregnancy and in immunocompromised individuals. The prevalence of infection is variable in different countries, depending on its social and economic determinants. Considering the worldwide relevance of toxoplasmosis and its devastating effects in children infected during pregnancy, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of seropositivity for toxoplasmosis in pregnant women from the Federal District of Brazil, from January 2014 to December 2018. This is a retrospective study that included a historical series of 170,678 pregnant women screened by the Pregnant Women Protection Program (PWPP). The coverage of the Program was around 70%, being considered very good, since people seek assistance in the private service or face other types of barriers to access. The global prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was 90,566 (53.21%; 95% CI 52.97-53.44). In the time course of the sample, the prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection dropped from 81.84% in 2014 to 38.65% in 2018. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis was higher in pregnant women aged 20 to 30 years. Another important factor was that the number of pregnancies and abortions also influenced, proportionally, the prevalence. This data indicates that the number of identified cases was similar to those observed in other countries and other regions in Brazil. However, over time, it showed a significant drop that may be due to the implementation of the PWPP in the current molds, based on public policies to protect pregnant women and newborns.