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Title: SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII ANTIBODIES IN HUMANS FROM RURAL WESTERN ANAZON, BRAZIL

Author
item CAVALCANTE, G - BRAZIL
item AGUIAR, D - BRAZIL
item CAMARGO, L M - BRAZIL
item LABRUNA, M - BRAZIL
item DE ANDRADE, H - BRAZIL
item MEIREIES, L - BRAZIL
item Dubey, Jitender
item THULLIEZ, P - FRANCE
item DIAS, R - BRAZIL
item GENNARI, S - BRAZIL

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2006
Publication Date: 6/6/2006
Citation: Cavalcante, G.T., Aguiar, D.M., Camargo, L.A., Labruna, M.B., De Andrade, H.F., Meireies, L.R., Dubey, J.P., Thulliez, P., Dias, R.A., Gennari, S.M. 2006. Seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii antibodies in humans from rural western anazon, brazil. Journal of Parasitology. 92:647-649.

Interpretive Summary: Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite of all warm-blooded hosts worldwide. It causes mental retardation and loss of vision in children, and abortion in livestock. Cats are the main reservoir of T. gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the resistant stage (oocyst) of the parasite in the feces. Humans become infected by eating undercooked meat from infected animals and food and water contaminated with oocysts. Scientists at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center and Univ. of Sao Paulo discuss epidemiology of T. gondii in Amazon, Brazil. The results will be of interest to veterinarian, parasitologists and public health workers.

Technical Abstract: : Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were assayed in sera of 266 humans from 71 farms located at Rondônia State, Western Amazon, Brazil by the modified agglutination test (MAT) and the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). Antibodies were found in 195 humans (73.3%), with MAT titers of 1:25 in 11, 1:50 in 11, 1:100 in 16, 1:200 in 27, 1:400 in 38, 1:800 in 37, 1:1,600 in 22, and 1:3,200 or higher in 33. From the 71 farms visited, 69 had seropositive humans. Prevalence of anti-T. gondii antibodies increased with age of the people (P<0.05) and no difference was observed in the occurrence by gender (P>0.05). A sanitary questionnaire was applied in each farm and statistical association between the serologic status and several variables were analyzed. Home-grown vegetable consumption and origin of drinking water (well or river) were the independent variables that displayed significant association (p=0.002 and 0.02, respectively). Higher values of occurrence were found in people with consumption of home-grown vegetables (76.1%) and people that drink well water (75.4%) when compared with people that did not consume of this type of food (61.9%) and drink river water (55.2%). By IFAT ('1:16), 194 of 266 (73 %) humans were seropositive and there was a good correlation between MAT and IFAT.