title: Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among pre-schoolchildren aged 1-5 years in the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Western Africa.
abstract: The prevalence status of Toxoplasma gondii infection in children of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (DRSTP), Western Africa, is unknown to date. A serologic survey of T. gondii infection among pre-schoolchildren aged <5 years in the DRSTP was assessed by the latex agglutination (LA) test from November 2003 to March 2004. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was not low, reaching 21.49% (26/121). No significant gender difference in seroprevalence was found between boys (19.30%; 11/57) and girls (23.44%; 15/64) (chi2 = 0.31, P = 0.58). The older age group of 4-5 years had significantly higher seroprevalence (36.67%; 11/30) than the younger age group of <2 years (10.34%; 3/29) (chi2 = 5.64, P = 0.02). It was noteworthy that the majority of seropositive boys (90.91%; 10/11) or older children aged > or = 2 years (82.61%; 19/23) had high LA titres of > or = 1:1024, indirectly indicating acute Toxoplasma infection. This study is the first report indicating that T. gondii infection is not low in pre-schoolchildren aged <5 years in the DRSTP. Whether the DRSTP pre-schoolchildren acquire T. gondii infection through constant exposure to the parasite from their daily activities owing to poor environmental hygiene should be further evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Taipei Medical University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. tedfan@tmu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chia-Kwung
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Chien-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Kua-Eyre
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Fung-Chang
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Hung-Yi
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Vilfrido
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: da Conceicao dos Reis Ferreira
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: de Carvalho
authors.forename: Claudina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Yu-Kuan
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Lian-Fen
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Ke-Yun
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Sao
authors.forename: Wen-Cheun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hung-Shue
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Shing-Hsien
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D008297:Male; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*