Disease burden of congenital toxoplasmosis

Abstract

Although the outcomes of toxoplasmosis have been well documented, an integrated estimate of the impact of this infection on the health status of the population is not available. "Disability-adjusted life years" are the sum of years of life lost and years lived with disability, weighted for the severity of the illness. The estimated disease burden of congenital toxoplasmosis in The Netherlands is 620 (range, 220-1900) disability-adjusted life years per year, which is similar to that for salmonellosis and is mainly caused by fetal loss and chorioretinitis. However, there is considerable uncertainty in this estimate. Scenario analysis indicates that the true burden may be underestimated. In other countries, the disease burden is expected to vary with the incidence of congenital infection, but it may also depend on the health care system. In countries that actively screen for toxoplasmosis, such as France, there may be a lower burden of morbidity but a higher burden of mortality.