Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Among Primary School Children in Shandong Province, China.

Although Toxoplasma gondii infection in primary school children has been investigated in many countries, limited surveys have been available in primary school children in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Sera from 6,000 primary school children were evaluated for T. gondii antibodies with ELISA. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 16.0% (961/6,000), of which 14.5% (870/6,000) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies, 3.4% (206/6,000) positive for IgM, and 1.9% (115/6,000) were positive for both IgG and IgM. The results of the present investigation indicated a high seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to prevent and control T. gondii infection in primary school children in this province. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in primary school children in Shandong province, China.

[Investigation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in Qingdao area].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of Toxoplasma gondii (TOX) infection in pregnant women in Qingdao area. METHODS: Antibody capture ELISA was used to detect the TOX-IgM, IgG and TOX-DNA in 1 341 pregnant women and 201 infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth pregnant women from June 2011 to July 2013. RESULTS: Among 201 abnormal pregnant women, 43 cases were TOX antibody positive, accounting for 22.39%, and among the normal pregnant women, 84 cases were TOX antibody positive, accounting for 6.26%, and there was a significant difference (X2 =10.60, P <0.05). The TOX positive rate of 20-29 years old women was higher than that of the women aged over 30 years (X2 =21.9, P < 0.05). The TOX antibody positive rates of families with pets and families without pets were 26.63% and 8.77% respectively (X2 =10.93, P <0.05). The TOX antibody positive rates were 10.94%(22/201)in unemployed women, 3.98% (8/201) in farmers, 3.98%(8/201) in staff, and 3.48%(7/201) in workers. CONCLUSIONS: The TOX infection rate in abnormal pregnant women is significantly higher than that in normal pregnancy women; therefore, the health education should be strengthened. In addition, in young women, especially 20-29 years old women, and some special occupation women, the control measures should be enhanced.