title: Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in China.
abstract: Infection with Toxoplasma gondii is common and usually asymptomatic, but it can have serious consequences in pregnant women if passed to the developing fetus. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and to identify the possible risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in China. Of a sample of 235 pregnant women in Changchun, China, 25 (10.6%) were found by ELISA to be positive for IgG and none (0%) for IgM. Major risk factors were found by bivariate and multivariate analysis to include eating raw or undercooked meat, unwashed raw vegetables or fruit, contact with cats, living in rural areas, and low educational standards. In order to lower congenital infection, pregnant women need to be informed about the risk factors for toxoplasmosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Veterinary Institute, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, 1068 Qinglong Road, Changchun 130062, China. liuquan1973@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Shengyan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.forename: Bao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ziguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Zhiping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xianghong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xing-Quan
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D002415:Cats; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005511:Food Handling; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000469:parasitology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D014125:Toxoplasmosis, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan