Gyang Vincent Pam, Akinwale Olaoluwa Pheabian, Lee Yueh-Lun, Chuang Ting-Wu, Orok Akwaowo, Ajibaye Olusola, Liao Chien-Wei, Cheng Po-Ching, Chou Chia-Mei, Huang Ying-Chieh, Fan Kuo-Hua, Fan Chia-Kwung
Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, People's Republic of China.
Public Health Division, Molecular Parasitology Research Laboratory, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2015 Jan-Feb;48(1):56-63. doi: 10.1590/0037-8682-0310-2014.
Toxoplasma gondii infection has been described as the most widespread zoonotic infection of humans and other animals. Information concerning T. gondii infection among schoolchildren is unavailable in Lagos City, Nigeria.
This cross-sectional study investigated the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection among primary schoolchildren (PSC) from a community located in the center of Lagos, southern Nigeria, from November 2013 to March 2014. A total of 382 PSC were screened for the presence of sera anti-T. gondii antibodies using a latex agglutination test (TOXO Test-MT, Tokyo, Japan). A cutoff titer of ≥ 1:32 was considered positive, while titers ≥ 1:1,024 indicated high responders. Questionnaires were also used to obtain data on possible risk factors from parents/guardians.
The overall seroprevalence was 24% (91/382), and 83.5% (76/91) of seropositive PSC were classified as high responders. Among the risk factors tested, including contact with cats and soil, consumption of raw meat and vegetables, and drinking unboiled water, none showed statistical significance after multivariate adjustment. No associations were observed among age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and parents' occupation/educational level.
The findings in this study show evidence of active infection, and hence, there is need for urgent preventive measures in this city. Further investigation is required to clarify the transmission routes. Policy makers also need to initiate prevention and control programs to protect pregnant women and immunocompromised patients in particular because they are more severely affected by T. gondii infection.
弓形虫感染被认为是人类和其他动物中最广泛传播的人畜共患感染。在尼日利亚拉各斯市，尚无关于学童弓形虫感染的相关信息。
这项横断面研究调查了2013年11月至2014年3月期间，尼日利亚南部拉各斯市中心一个社区的小学生中弓形虫感染的血清阳性率及相关危险因素。使用乳胶凝集试验（TOXO Test-MT，日本东京）对总共382名小学生进行血清抗弓形虫抗体检测。临界滴度≥1:32被视为阳性，而滴度≥1:1,024表明为高反应者。还通过问卷从家长/监护人那里获取有关可能危险因素的数据。
总体血清阳性率为24%（91/382），血清阳性的小学生中有83.5%（76/91）被归类为高反应者。在检测的危险因素中，包括与猫和土壤接触、食用生肉和蔬菜以及饮用未煮沸的水，经多变量调整后均无统计学意义。在年龄、性别、体重指数（BMI）以及父母职业/教育水平之间未观察到关联。
本研究结果显示存在活动性感染的证据，因此，该城市需要采取紧急预防措施。需要进一步调查以明确传播途径。政策制定者还需要启动预防和控制计划，以特别保护孕妇和免疫功能低下的患者，因为他们受弓形虫感染的影响更为严重。
