Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii Infection among healthy blood donors in Taiwan

PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e48139. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048139. Epub 2012 Oct 25.

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic, zoonotic pathogen with a worldwide distribution. There are large variations in the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in different regions of the world. Although toxoplasmosis became a notifiable communicable disease in Taiwan in 2007, little is known about its epidemiology among the general population. This cross-sectional study aimed to survey the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and its risk factors among healthy blood donors in Taiwan. Through collaborating with the Taiwan Blood Services Foundation, a total of 1,783 healthy blood donors from all six-branch blood service centers participated in this study. The blood samples were tested for the presence of T. gondii antibodies and DNA using enzyme immunoassays and real-time PCR, respectively. Structured questionnaires were used to gather information on risk factors for T. gondii infection. Of the 1,783 participants, 166 (9.3%) tested positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG, while 5 (0.28%) tested positive for anti-Toxoplasma IgM. The five IgM positive donors had high avidity antibodies suggestive of past infection. No active parasitemia was detected by real-time PCR assays. Multivariate logistic regression showed that undercooked pork meat consumption (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-6.5), raw mussels consumption (adjusted OR = 5.3; 95% CI: 1.5-19.1), having a cat in the household (adjusted OR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.2-3.2), a lower education level (adjusted OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.1-2.3), and donation place in eastern Taiwan (adjusted OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.6-3.9) were independent risk factors for Toxoplasma seropositivity. These findings provide information on the seroprevalence and epidemiology of T. gondii infection among healthy blood donors in Taiwan.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Blood Donors
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Food Microbiology
  • Foodborne Diseases
  • Geography
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques / methods
  • Immunoglobulin G / chemistry
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Odds Ratio
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Seroepidemiologic Studies
  • Taiwan
  • Toxoplasma / metabolism*
  • Toxoplasmosis / epidemiology*
  • Toxoplasmosis / parasitology*

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin G

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant (DOH100-DC-2029) from the Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health, Taiwan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.