TY - JOUR
T1 - Toxoplasma gondii infection
T2 - Relationship between seroprevalence and risk factors among primary schoolchildren in the capital areas of Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa
AU - Fan, Chia-Kwung
AU - Lee, Ling-Wen
AU - Liao, Chien-Wei
AU - Huang, Y. C.
AU - Lee, Yueh-Lun
AU - Chang, Yu Tai
AU - Da Costa, Ngela Dos Santos Ramos José
AU - Gil, Vilfrido
AU - Chi, Li Hsing
AU - Nara, Takeshi
AU - Tsubouchi, Akiko
AU - Akinwale, Olaoluwa Pheabian
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe. The authors also thank the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, the International Cooperation and Development Fund, Taiwan, and the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as Taipei Medical University (TMU98-AE1-B19) and National Science Council, Taiwan (NSC 99-2628-B-038-001-MY3)/ for their support of this investigation.
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Background: The status of Toxoplasma gondii infection among primary schoolchildren (PSC) of the Democratic Republic of So Tom and Prncipe (DRSTP), West Africa, remains unknown to date. Methods: A serologic survey and risk factors associated T. gondii infection among PSC in the DRSTP was assessed by the latex agglutination (LA) test and a questionnaire interview including parents occupation, various uncomfortable symptoms, histories of eating raw or undercooked food, drinking unboiled water, and raising pets, was conducted in October 2010. Schoolchildren from 4 primary schools located in the capital areas were selected, in total 255 serum samples were obtained by venipuncture, of which 123 serum samples were obtained from boys (9.8 1.4 yrs) and 132 serum samples were obtained from girls (9.7 1.3 yrs). Results: The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 63.1% (161/255). No significant gender difference in seroprevalence was found between boys (62.6%, 77/123) and girls (63.6%, 84/132) (p = 0.9). The older age group of 10 years had insignificantly higher seroprevalence (69.9%, 58/83) than that of the younger age group of 8 year olds (67.7%, 21/31) (p = 0.8). It was noteworthy that the majority of seropositive PSC (75.8%, 122/161) had high LA titers of ?1: 1024, indirectly indicating acute or repeated Toxoplasma infection. Parents whose jobs were non-skilled workers (73.1%) showed significantly higher seroprevalence than that of semiskilled- (53.9%) or skilled workers (48.8%) (p0.05). Conclusions: Parents' educational level and cats kept indoors seemed to be the high risk factors for PSC in acquisition of T. gondii infection. While, ocular manifestation and/or headache of PSC should be checked for the possibility of being T. gondii elicited. Measures such as improving environmental hygiene and intensive educational intervention to both PSC and their parents should be performed immediately so as to reduce T. gondii infection of DRSTP inhabitants including PSC and adults.
AB - Background: The status of Toxoplasma gondii infection among primary schoolchildren (PSC) of the Democratic Republic of So Tom and Prncipe (DRSTP), West Africa, remains unknown to date. Methods: A serologic survey and risk factors associated T. gondii infection among PSC in the DRSTP was assessed by the latex agglutination (LA) test and a questionnaire interview including parents occupation, various uncomfortable symptoms, histories of eating raw or undercooked food, drinking unboiled water, and raising pets, was conducted in October 2010. Schoolchildren from 4 primary schools located in the capital areas were selected, in total 255 serum samples were obtained by venipuncture, of which 123 serum samples were obtained from boys (9.8 1.4 yrs) and 132 serum samples were obtained from girls (9.7 1.3 yrs). Results: The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 63.1% (161/255). No significant gender difference in seroprevalence was found between boys (62.6%, 77/123) and girls (63.6%, 84/132) (p = 0.9). The older age group of 10 years had insignificantly higher seroprevalence (69.9%, 58/83) than that of the younger age group of 8 year olds (67.7%, 21/31) (p = 0.8). It was noteworthy that the majority of seropositive PSC (75.8%, 122/161) had high LA titers of ?1: 1024, indirectly indicating acute or repeated Toxoplasma infection. Parents whose jobs were non-skilled workers (73.1%) showed significantly higher seroprevalence than that of semiskilled- (53.9%) or skilled workers (48.8%) (p0.05). Conclusions: Parents' educational level and cats kept indoors seemed to be the high risk factors for PSC in acquisition of T. gondii infection. While, ocular manifestation and/or headache of PSC should be checked for the possibility of being T. gondii elicited. Measures such as improving environmental hygiene and intensive educational intervention to both PSC and their parents should be performed immediately so as to reduce T. gondii infection of DRSTP inhabitants including PSC and adults.
KW - Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe
KW - Primary schoolchildren
KW - Seroepidemiology
KW - Toxoplasma gondii
KW - West Africa
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U2 - 10.1186/1756-3305-5-141
DO - 10.1186/1756-3305-5-141
M3 - Article
C2 - 22794195
AN - SCOPUS:84865226771
SN - 1756-3305
VL - 5
JO - Parasites and Vectors
JF - Parasites and Vectors
IS - 1
M1 - 141
ER -
