title: Incidence of acute symptomatic toxoplasma retinochoroiditis in south London according to country of birth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of acute symptomatic toxoplasma retinochoroiditis presenting to ophthalmologists for patients born in Britain and elsewhere.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population based, cross sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  11 districts in south Greater London.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients presenting to NHS ophthalmologists with symptoms due to acute toxoplasma retinochoroiditis in 1992-3.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intraocular inflammation in association with a retinochoroidal scar, active adjoining retinitis, and IgG serum antibodies to toxoplasma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated incidence of acute symptomatic retinochoroiditis for all people born in Britain was 0.4/100,000/year. If a mean of two symptomatic episodes per lifetime is assumed, 100 people born in Britain may be affected each year, about a fifth of the estimated 500-600 congenitally infected people born each year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A substantial proportion of people with acute symptomatic toxoplasma retinochoroiditis were born outside the country, and the number born in Britain was smaller than the number previously estimated to develop retinochoroidal lesions due to congenital toxoplasmosis. These findings suggest that prenatal screening for toxoplasmosis in Britain may be of limited benefit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, London.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Gilbert
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Holliman
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000354:Africa, Western / Q000208:ethnology; D002825:Chorioretinitis / Q000151:congenital / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D014126:Toxoplasmosis, Ocular / Q000151:congenital / Q000208:ethnology*