Toxoplasma gondii infection: Relationship between seroprevalence and risk factors among inhabitants in two offshore islands from Taiwan

A seroepidemiological study of toxoplasmosis among inhabitants of Penghu Island and Kinmen Island offshore of Taiwan was performed using the latex agglutination test from July 1999 to June 2000. In order to determine risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection, the effects of a history of eating raw/undercooked meats and raising pets were focused on using a self-administrated questionnaire. The seroprevalence (28.2%; 190/673) in Kinmen Island was significantly higher than that (2.7%; 8/293) in Penghu Island (P <0.001). A significant difference in seroprevalence between both sexes was found in Kinmen Island (P <0.05), but not in Penghu Island. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the older the age, the higher the OR in both Islands, yet a significant difference in seroprevalence between children and adults or the elderly was observed in Kinmen Island (P <0.001). Moreover, those who had histories of raising cats or eating raw/undercooked meats seemed to have greater opportunities to become infected with T. gondii (OR=2.9, 95% CI=1.9-4.5, P <0.001; OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.1-2.1, P <0.05). In Penghu Island, a significant association between seroprevalence and a history of raising cats was also observed (OR=4.6, 95% CI=1.1-20.1, P <0.05). Furthermore, workers, farmers, and fishermen seemed to be more susceptible to T. gondii infection than students in Kinmen Island.