title: New and old risk-factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection: prospective cross-sectional study among military personnel in the Czech Republic.
abstract: The aims of this study were to evaluate seroprevalence and the importance of various risk-factors for Toxoplasma infection in the Czech Republic. A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted among military personnel in Prague. Consenting subjects (n = 3250) completed a questionnaire concerning demographics and risk-factors, and blood samples were taken to determine anti-Toxoplasma antibody titres according to complement fixation and ELISA IgG and IgM tests. The seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis was 23%. In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of Toxoplasma seropositivity were age (OR 1.03 / year), consumption of raw meat (OR 1.35), owning a cat (OR 1.25), owning rabbits (OR 1.47), childhood residence in a town with a population of <10 000 inhabitants (OR 1.63) vs. location of the childhood residence in a town with population of >100 000 inhabitants, and blood group type A (OR 1.28), B (OR 1.33) or AB (OR 1.43) vs. O. These results suggested that horizontal toxoplasmosis transmission in the Czech Republic may occur through consumption of raw meat, contact with cat faeces and farming.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kolbekova
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kourbatova
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Novotna
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kodym
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flegr
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011817:Rabbits; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan