Low incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis in children born to women infected with human immunodeficiency virus. European Collaborative Study and Research Network on Congenital Toxoplasmosis.
In children born to immunocompetent women, congenital toxoplasmosis almost always results from primary infection during pregnancy. However, reactivation of latent toxoplasmosis during pregnancy could occur in HIV-infected pregnant women, particularly in those who are severely immunocompromised, and result in maternal-fetal transmission of the parasite. This mode of infection has been described in case reports but the risk of transmission is unknown. Findings on toxoplasmosis are presented from the European Collaborative Study, a prospective study of children born to women known to be HIV-infected at the time of delivery. In 1058 children followed for a mean duration of 35 months, only one child developed clinical toxoplasmosis. This child was HIV-infected, severely immunocompromised, and acquired toxoplasmosis postnatally. Congenital infection was excluded serologically in a subgroup of 167 children, of whom an estimated 71 had been at risk of infection. These clinical and serological findings indicate a low general risk of maternal-fetal transmission of Toxoplasma infection in HIV-infected women. It is not possible to draw conclusions about the risk of transmission for severely immunocompromised HIV-infected women because most women in the study were asymptomatic.
D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000276:immunology*; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000276:immunology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014125:Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / Q000276:immunology*
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G