Seroprevalence, Seroconversion, and Risk Factors for Toxoplasmosis among Pregnant Women in Taipei, Taiwan

Hung, Ching-Sheng; Su, Hung Wen; Lee, Yu Luen; Weng, Hui; Wang, Yin Chin; Naito, Toshio; Tsubouchi, Akira; Wang, Giueng Chueng; Fan, Chia Kwung

doi:10.7883/yoken.jjid.2014.263

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Eighty percent of the participants had post-primary school education which suggests better understanding of hygiene principles. Similar to findings in this study, other studies have also reported the absence of associations between consumption of raw vegetables and T. gondii infection [ 39 , 40 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Previous studies had reported that being rural dweller [ 41 ], having low education/illiterate [ 42 ], eating undercooked meat [ 43 ], cat ownership [ 39 , 40 ], drinking water from public sources [ 38 ], and being HIV positive [ 44 ] were all found to be risk factors for contracting T. gondii infection. However, none of these factors had significant association with T. gondii seropositivity in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Northern Tanzania

et al. 2018

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BackgroundAcute Toxoplasma gondii infection during pregnancy represents a risk for congenital disease, especially among women without previous exposure to infection. There is, however, a paucity of information about the epidemiology of T. gondii infection in pregnant women in Tanzania. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and associated demographic, clinical, and behavioral risk factors in pregnant women attending ante-natal clinic (ANC) at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), a referral medical center in Northern Tanzania.MethodsA hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out from 1 February to 30 April 2017. Data on maternal demographic characteristics, obstetric history, knowledge, and practices related to T. gondii infection were collected from 254 pregnant women attending antenatal care at KCMC. A sample of 4 mL of blood was collected from each participant and sera prepared from each sample. Serum samples were tested for the presence of specific T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies by indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). DNA was extracted from whole blood for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, targeting the DNA sequence coding for the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1).ResultsThe overall T. gondii seroprevalence, including both IgM- and IgG-positive individuals, was 44.5%. Of the 254 tested women, 102 and 23 were seropositive for T. gondii-specific IgG and IgM antibodies respectively and 113 individuals had antibodies of either or both classes. All IgM-positive samples were also tested by PCR, and all were negative. The majority (90%) of the women surveyed had never heard about toxoplasmosis. Consumption of raw vegetables [aOR = 0. 344; 95% CI 0.151–0.784; p = 0.011] and having regular contact with soil [aOR = 0.482; 95% CI 0.268–0.8681; p = 0.015] were both associated with T. gondii antibody status. Inverse relationships with probability of T. gondii exposure were observed, such that these practices were associated with reduced probability of antibody detection.ConclusionBased on serology results, we report widespread exposure to T. gondii infection among pregnant women attending ANC in KCMC. The complex interaction of risk factors for T. gondii infection needs to be studied in larger longitudinal studies.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Northern Tanzania

et al. 2018

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“…In Thailand, a slightly higher seroprevalence of 22% was reported in 2014 using ELISA [38]. Using the same method, 7.7% seropositivity was recently published in Taiwan [39], which is lower than that detected in the present study. However, the number of pregnant women tested was low, which is also a limitation of the current study.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

Endemicity of Toxoplasma infection and its associated risk factors in Cebu, Philippines

et al. 2019

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Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled intracellular apicomplexan parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. It is capable of infecting humans and nearly all warm-blooded animals including pigs, but cats are the only known definitive host. This ubiquitous zoonotic pathogen can cause abortion, stillbirth and fetal abnormalities, and has been associated with mental and behavioral changes in humans. Acute infection is potentially fatal in immunocompromised individuals. The present study aimed to assess the Toxoplasma seroprevalence in pigs, humans and cats after its initial reported detection in pigs about three decades ago in Cebu, Philippines. A total of 924 humans, 104 cats and 514 slaughter pigs were tested for antibodies against T . gondii using a commercial latex agglutination test. The results revealed positive detection rates of 26.3% (244/924) for humans, 42.3% (44/104) for cats and 13.4% (69/514) for slaughter pigs. Statistical analyses revealed that the area (P = 0.004), cat ownership ( P = 0.020), the frequency of contact with cats ( P < 0.0001) and consumption of street foods ( P = 0.043) were significantly associated with seropositivity for T . gondii in humans. Meanwhile, the use of litter trays ( P = 0.001) and contact with other animals ( P = 0.007) were significantly associated with seropositivity in cats. The odds ratio for selected significant factors revealed that living in suburban areas (OR 1.66, 95% CI: 1.20–2.31), owning a cat (OR 1.482, 95% CI: 1.07–2.07) and eating street foods (OR 1.585, 95% CI: 1.01–2.48) were associated with an increased risk of T . gondii exposure in humans. In cats, the use of a litter tray (OR 4.5, 95% CI: 1.73–11.71) was associated with an increased risk of exposure. None of the profile parameters were found to be significantly associated with seropositivity in slaughter pigs ( P > 0.05). This study is the first report of the serological detection of T . gondii in humans and cats in Cebu, Philippines, and the first assessment of the prevalence of the parasite in pigs in the area since its initial detection in 1982. This is also the first report documenting the seropositivity of T . gondii in pregnant women in the country. The confirmed seropositivity of T . gondii in Cebu, Philippines, in the present study implies the endemicity of toxoplasmosis in this area and highlights the need for routine testing and increased public awareness.

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“…The level of education, as described in the literature, influences not only the knowledge but also the seroprevalence estimates to T. gondii : pregnant women with a lower level of education have higher seroprevalence estimate than those with higher schooling. Consequently, pregnant women with a higher educational level appear to have a more accurate knowledge of protozoan disease in order to prevent it [33].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toxoplasmosis and knowledge: what do the Italian women know about?

et al. 2020

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Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. This infection is estimated to affect about a third of the world's population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Italian women about toxoplasmosis and its forms of transmission, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and prevention through two different modalities (e-research and traditional research). In a cross-sectional study, 808 Italian women were interviewed, using a self-administered questionnaire, through two different modalities: an e-research or web survey and a traditional paper research and 84% reported to have heard about toxoplasmosis, but from most of the sample, it resulted that the knowledge of the protozoan disease was superficial and incomplete. The assessment of the dimensionality related to the toxoplasmosis knowledge's instrument showed that the scale is composed by two stable and reliable factors which explain 58.6% of the variance: (a) the basic knowledge (α = 0.83), which explains the 45.2% of the variance and (b) the specialist knowledge (α = 0.71), which explains the 13.4% of the variance. The variance and the multiple linear regression data analysis showed significant predictors of correct basic knowledge of toxoplasmosis: the highest age, the highest degree of study, to have previously contracted illness or to know someone who had contracted it, to be working or to be housewives. In conclusion, this study showed limited awareness of toxoplasmosis and suggested the implementation of effective education and learning programs. The results also showed that online data collection, in academic research, might be a valid alternative to more traditional (paper-and-pencil) surveys.

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Seroprevalence, Seroconversion, and Risk Factors for Toxoplasmosis among Pregnant Women in Taipei, Taiwan

Cited by 13 publications

References 34 publications

Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Northern Tanzania

Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in Northern Tanzania

Endemicity of Toxoplasma infection and its associated risk factors in Cebu, Philippines

Toxoplasmosis and knowledge: what do the Italian women know about?

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