RESUMEN
Toxoplasmosis is a cosmopolitan protozoan infection. Data regarding risk factors for the post-natal acquisition of Toxoplasma gondii infection in childhood are limited. We conducted a serological survey for T. gondii IgG antibodies and associated risk factors in 1,217 children 4-11-yr-old from Salvador, Brazil, using a commercial ELISA kit; antibodies were found in 17.5% of the children. Age (OR â=â 2.18; 95% CI: 1.50-3.17) and maternal schooling level (OR â=â 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42-0.92) were negatively associated with infection. A greater number of siblings (OR â=â 1.53; 95% CI: 1.12-2.09), cat at home (OR â=â 1.54; 95% CI: 1.06-2.24), house with non-treated piped water (OR â=â 2.54; 95% CI: 1.22-5.31), and the absence of a flush toilet at home (OR â=â 1.45; 95% CI: 1.04-2.01) were positively associated with T. gondii infection. Our data suggest that low socioeconomic levels and poor hygiene habits are important factors in favoring T. gondii infection.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Antiprotozoarios/sangre , Toxoplasma/inmunología , Toxoplasmosis/epidemiología , Toxoplasmosis/transmisión , Animales , Brasil , Enfermedades de los Gatos/parasitología , Enfermedades de los Gatos/transmisión , Gatos , Niño , Preescolar , Humanos , Higiene/normas , Inmunoglobulina G/sangre , Modelos Logísticos , Análisis Multivariante , Oocistos , Factores de Riesgo , Estudios Seroepidemiológicos , Factores Socioeconómicos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Toxoplasmosis Animal/transmisión , Población UrbanaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between Toxocara canis infection and total IgE levels and eosinophilia in blood donors from a large Brazilian city. METHODS: Two hundred and sixty-eight blood donors from a government blood bank were tested. No helminth infection was diagnosed by parasitological stool examination. Total IgE levels and T. canis infection status were determined by ELISA. Eosinophil levels were determined using an automatic blood cell counter. RESULTS: Toxocara canis IgG antibodies were found in 124 (46.3%); 102 (38.0%) had eosinophilia ≥4% and 29 (10.8%) had eosinophilia ≥10%, respectively; 140 (52.2%) individuals had total IgE antibodies above the cut-off levels. Both total IgE and eosinophil levels ≥10% were positively associated with the infection. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a high prevalence of T. canis infection in blood donors, highlighting the need for screening for this infection. It also demonstrated that this population otherwise healthy has higher levels of blood eosinophils and total IgE and that both parameters are associated with T. canis infection.
