Toxoplasma gondii oocyst-specific antibodies and source of infection

Abstract

Infection source can determine cost-effective public health interventions. To quantify risk of acquiring Toxoplasma gondii from environmental sources versus from meat, we examined serum from pregnant women in Chile. Because 43% had oocyst-specific antibodies, we conclude that contaminated meat remains the primary source of infection but that environmental sources also pose substantial risk.

Figure

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii in 494 low-income pregnant women from Valdivia Province, Chile. *<15%, indicates acute infection; †15%–30%, indicates possible infection within <6 mo (4 samples from recently infected women were not tested for SSP antibodies); ‡>30%, excludes recent (within 3 mo) infection (9 samples from women with chronic infection were not tested for SSP antibodies). –, negative; +, positive; Ig, immunoglobulin; SSP, sporozoite-specific protein antibodies.