Toxoplasmosis: prevalence and risk factors.
A total of 200 pregnant women were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was found to be 49%, in which 39%, 4% and 6% for anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM and both anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. We found the differences in Toxoplasma seroprevalence rates among the races were significant: the highest rate was in the Malays (55.7%), followed by the Indian (55.3%) and the Chinese (19.4%) (P<0.05) populations. An increase in Toxoplasma seroprevalence with increasing parity was detected (P<0.05). Women with no children had a prevalence of 39.7%, while women with one or more than two children had a prevalence of 44.2% and 62.9%, respectively. In this study, there was no significant association between Toxoplasma seroprevalence and various possible risk factors in pregnant women (P>0.05). When multivariate analysis was performed, no significant association between Toxoplasma seroprevalence and history of contact with cats, consumption of undercooked meat and blood transfusion was found (P>0.05). We did not find any newly diagnosed cases of acute acquired toxoplasmosis in pregnancy during the study period.
Nissapatorn
V
V
Department of Parasitology, University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. nissapat@hotmail.com
Noor Azmi
M A
MA
Cho
S M
SM
Fong
M Y
MY
Init
I
I
Rohela
M
M
Khairul Anuar
A
A
Quek
K F
KF
Latt
H M
HM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan