Abstract:
Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate, intracellular, apicomplexan
parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. Although the global prevalence of
toxoplasmosis has been estimated to be approximately 30%, there is
limited seroprevalence data in Ghana, with a dearth of information on the
impact of T. gondii on haematological parameters in exposed persons.
Methods: Questionnaires were administered to 300 consenting individuals
to obtain demographic information and assessment of their risk of exposure
to T. gondii. Using anti-T. gondii IgG/IgM combo test kits, seropositivity to
parasite-specific IgG and/or IgM was determined. A haematological
analyser was used to measure haematological parameters.
Results: The participants included 58 males and 242 females, and ranged
in age from 6 months to 84 years, with a median age of 27 years. There was
an overall seroprevalence of 50.3% (n=151), with 49.7% (n=149) of the
study participants seropositive for IgG and 1% (n=3) testing positive for
IgM. Furthermore, the observed seroprevalence among pregnant women
was 56.4% (n=62). With regards to the different communities in which the
hospitals were located, a seroprevalence of 55.6% was observed in the
rural community, 50.6% in the peri-urban community and 47.1% in the
urban community. The study identified cat ownership, contact with cat litter
[RR (95% CI: 1.76 (1.23-2.53), 1.66 (1.03-2.67), 1.25(1.00-1.57)] and age
(p<0.001) as risk factors for infection. Analyses of haematological data also
revealed significant differences between the red blood cell counts
(p=0.038) and mean corpuscular volumes (p=0.0007) of seropositive and
seronegative study participants.
Conclusions: About half of the study population, including a significant
number of women of reproductive age carried antibodies against T. gondii, raising questions about the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis, as well as
possible links to anaemia. We, therefore, recommend that screening for
Toxoplasma gondii be included in the routine screening of pregnant women
seeking antenatal care.
