Toxoplasmosis Frequency in Pregnant Women Attending Regional Health Centers in the City of Samambaia of the Federal District, Brazil
Journal Title: Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research (BJSTR) - Year 2019, Vol 12, Issue 3
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is caused by T. gondii, with prevalence from 20 to 90% in the world population. In pregnant women, the presence of fetal infection reaches 40%. The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and risk factors of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women receiving care at health centers in the city of Samambaia in the Federal District. Two groups of women: one group included pregnant women who attended prenatal programs in 2014 using interviews and a printed questionnaire. The other group included pregnant women randomly selected from records in the system of the health centers. These women had had serological tests for toxoplasmosis conducted in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. A total of 414 pregnant women participated in the study: 200 that were interviewed and 214 by way of secondary data obtained between 2011 and 2014. Of these secondary data, the prevalence of susceptible pregnant women was 39%, those immune were 34% and those infected during pregnancy, 27%. They were between 21-25 years of age, little education and poor information about prevention to toxoplasmosis. The prevalence of immune susceptible and infected pregnant women varies by age, level of education and information about toxoplasmosis in the first pregnancy.Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii with cosmopolitan distribution [1]. This disease affects various mammals: cats, pigs, rodents and cattle as well as humans [2-4]. It is a serious public health problem, possibly causing irreversible damage or even death for the fetuses of pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals [5-7]. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis varies from 20 to 90% in the world population but with different geographical distribution from one region to another. It depends on risk factors, such as food, water treatment, environmental exposure and cultural habits [8,9]. Pregnant women who have acquired toxoplasmosis transmit the disease to fetuses, causing miscarriages, stillbirths, neurological and ocular sequelae [10,11]. There are three infectious stages of T. gondii: the tachyzoites (in groups or clones), the bradyzoites (in tissue cysts), and the sporozoites (in oocysts). These are intracellular, preferably in cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system [12-14]. In the sexual stage they infect the intestines of young cats. In the asexual stage the eye tissue, muscle and brain of birds and mammals, including man, are infected [15-17]. Transmission of T. gondii is oral, with the ingestion of cat feces containing oocysts that had been present in soil, water, sand boxes or unwashed fruit and vegetables. Infection can also occur by eating raw or undercooked meat containing cysts with bradyzoites, or tachyzoites in milk, or by laboratory accidents, blood transfusions or it may be transplacental [18,19].
Authors and Affiliations
Machado ER, Moura CS, Silva MA, Eduardo AMLN, Oliviera LB, Melo KS, Chaves PLG, Miranda CC
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP592748
- DOI 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.12.002245
- Views 182
- Downloads 0
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