Toxoplasma gondii infection: seroprevalence and associated risk factors among primary schoolchildren in Lagos City, Southern Nigeria.

Autor:	Gyang VP; Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China., Akinwale OP; Public Health Division, Molecular Parasitology Research Laboratory, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria., Lee YL; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China., Chuang TW; Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China., Orok A; Biochemistry and Nutrition Division, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria., Ajibaye O; Biochemistry and Nutrition Division, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria., Liao CW; Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China., Cheng PC; Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China., Chou CM; Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China., Huang YC; Department of Molecular Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China., Fan KH; Owner & Patent Attorney Zoomlaw IP Attorneys, Hsinchu County, People's Republic of China., Fan CK; Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical [Rev Soc Bras Med Trop] 2015 Jan-Feb; Vol. 48 (1), pp. 56-63.
DOI:	10.1590/0037-8682-0310-2014
Abstrakt:	Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii infection has been described as the most widespread zoonotic infection of humans and other animals. Information concerning T. gondii infection among schoolchildren is unavailable in Lagos City, Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection among primary schoolchildren (PSC) from a community located in the center of Lagos, southern Nigeria, from November 2013 to March 2014. A total of 382 PSC were screened for the presence of sera anti-T. gondii antibodies using a latex agglutination test (TOXO Test-MT, Tokyo, Japan). A cutoff titer of ≥ 1:32 was considered positive, while titers ≥ 1:1,024 indicated high responders. Questionnaires were also used to obtain data on possible risk factors from parents/guardians. Results: The overall seroprevalence was 24% (91/382), and 83.5% (76/91) of seropositive PSC were classified as high responders. Among the risk factors tested, including contact with cats and soil, consumption of raw meat and vegetables, and drinking unboiled water, none showed statistical significance after multivariate adjustment. No associations were observed among age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and parents' occupation/educational level. Conclusions: The findings in this study show evidence of active infection, and hence, there is need for urgent preventive measures in this city. Further investigation is required to clarify the transmission routes. Policy makers also need to initiate prevention and control programs to protect pregnant women and immunocompromised patients in particular because they are more severely affected by T. gondii infection.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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