title: Prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and vertical transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in patients from basic units of health from Gurupi, Tocantins, Brazil, from 2012 to 2014.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Toxoplasmosis is a parasitary disease that presents high rates of gestational and congenital infection worldwide being therefore considered a public health problem and a neglected disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis amongst pregnant women and vertical transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in their newborns attended in the Basic Units of Health (BUH) from the city of Gurupi, state of Tocantins, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prevalence study was performed, including 487 pregnant women and their newborns attended in the BUH of the urban zone of the city of Gurupi, state of Tocantins, Brazil, during the period from February 2012 to February 2014. The selection of the pregnant women occurred by convenience. In the antenatal admission they were invited to participate in this study. Three samples of peripheral blood were collected for the detection of specific anti-T. gondii IgG, IgM and IgA through ELISA, for the polimerase chain reaction (PCR) and IgG avidity during pregnancy. When IgM antibodies were detected the fetal and newborn infection investigation took place. The newborn was investigated right after birth and after one year of age through serology and PCR to confirm/exclude the vertical transmission. The analyses were performed in the Studies of the Host-Parasite Relationship Laboratory (LAERPH, IPTSP-UFG), Goiania, state of Goias, Brazil. The results were inserted in a data bank in Epi-Info 3.3.2 statistic software in which the analysis was performed with p≤5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The toxoplasmosis infection was detected in 68.37% (333/487, CI95%: 64.62-72.86). The toxoplasmosis chronic infection prevalence was of 63.03% (307/487, CI95%: 58.74-67.32). The prevalence of maternal acute infection was of 5.33% (26/487; CI95%: 3.3-7.3) suspected by IgM antibodies detection in the peripheral blood. The prevalence of confirmed vertical transmission was of 28% (7/25; CI95%: 10.4-45.6).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show an elevated prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and vertical transmission of T. gondii in the city of Gurupi, state of Tocantins, Brazil.
authors.affiliation: University Center UNIRG, Parasitology Laboratory, Av. Rio de Janeiro entre ruas 9 e 10, Centro, Gurupi-TO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gontijo da Silva
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Goias (UFG), Tropical Medicine and Public Health Institute (IPTSP), Tropical Medicine and Public Health Post-Graduation Programme, Studies of the Host-Parasite Relationship Laboratory (LAERPH), Rua 235 esq. 1a. Av. s/n Setor Leste Universitário, CEP 74605-050, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clare Vinaud
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Goias (UFG), Tropical Medicine and Public Health Institute (IPTSP), Tropical Medicine and Public Health Post-Graduation Programme, Studies of the Host-Parasite Relationship Laboratory (LAERPH), Rua 235 esq. 1a. Av. s/n Setor Leste Universitário, CEP 74605-050, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Castro
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission