Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in the United States 2009-2010 and comparison with the past two decades.
Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous parasite that can cause neurologic and ocular disease. We tested sera from 7,072 people ≥ 6 years of age in the 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for immunoglobulin G antibodies and compared these results with two previous NHANES studies. The overall T. gondii antibody seroprevalence among persons ≥ 6 years of age in 2009-2010 was 13.2% (95% confidence limit [CL] 11.8%, 14.5%) and age-adjusted seroprevalence was 12.4% (95% CL 11.1%, 13.7%); age-adjusted seroprevalence among women 15-44 years of age was 9.1% (95% CL 7.2%, 11.1%). In U.S. born persons 12-49 years of age, the age-adjusted T. gondii seroprevalence decreased from 14.1% (95% CL 12.7%, 15.5%) in NHANES III (1988-1994) to 9.0% (95% CL 7.6%, 10.5%) in NHANES 1999-2004 to 6.7% (95% CL 5.3%, 8.2%) in NHANES 2009-2010 (P < 0.001 linear trend). Although T. gondii antibody presence is still relatively common, the prevalence in the United States has continued to decline.
Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland jlj1@cdc.gov.
Jeffrey L
JL
Jones
Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland.
Deanna
D
Kruszon-Moran
Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland.
Hilda N
HN
Rivera
Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland.
Courtney
C
Price
Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Health and Nutrition Examination Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland.
Patricia P
PP
Wilkins
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G