Seroprevalence of toxoplasma gondii using sabin feldman dye test in children and young adults in Bangphae district, Ratchaburi province, Thailand

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is an intracellular protozoan infection known for its worldwide prevalence. Even with a high disease burden, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in children has not been documented in Thailand. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in Bang Phae district, Ratchaburi Province, Thailand, in 2012 and 2015. We aimed to determine the T. gondii seroprevalence in 2012 and 2015 and its demographic risks. The archived blood samples from 2012 and 2015 and demographic data from the previous study entitled "Dengue Virus Seroprevalence Study in Bang Phae district, Ratchaburi, Thailand: A Cohort Study in 2012-2015" were used. Five hundred and seventy-three subjects were randomly selected from the previous study, stratified by age group, gender, and living subdistricts. T. gondii IgG was tested using the Sabin-Feldman dye test. The seroprevalence of T. gondii was 2.8% and 4.2% in 2012 and 2015, respectively. In 2015, the highest seropositivity of 18/285 (6.3%) was found in ages 14-23 years. Of 557 initial seronegative subjects, 8 (1.4%) seroconverted. Of 16 initial seropositive subjects, 1 (6.3%) showed an increasing titer. In 2015, seroprevalence in males was higher than in females (PR 3.03, p = 0.011), especially in the subgroup aged 19-28 years (PR 4.95, p = 0.033). Living subdistrict and nutritional status did not show a significant difference in seropositivity. This study showed low T. gondii seroprevalence in children and young adults in Bang Phae district, Ratchaburi province, Thailand. A prospective clinical study should be conducted for a better understanding of risk exposure in teenage years