Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T00:25:08.979Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Risk factors for recent toxoplasma infection in pregnant women in Naples

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

W. Buffolano ,
R. E. Gilbert ,
F. J. Holland ,
D. Fratta ,
F. Palumbo  and
A. E. Ades
W. Buffolano
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Pediatria, Federico II Medical School, Naples, Italy
R. E. Gilbert*
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH
F. J. Holland
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH
D. Fratta
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Pediatria, Federico II Medical School, Naples, Italy
F. Palumbo
Affiliation:
Regional Health Policy Office, Assessorato Sanita Regione Campania, Naples, Italy
A. E. Ades
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH
*
* Author for correspondence.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Effective primary prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis requires up to date information on locally relevant risk factors for infection in pregnant women. In Naples, risk factors for toxoplasma infection were compared in recently infected women (as assessed by detection of specific IgM in serum) and susceptible, IgG negative women. Recent infection was strongly associated with frequency of consumption of cured pork and raw meat. Eating cured pork or raw meat at least once a month increased the risk of toxoplasma infection threefold.

This simple study design for determining locally relevant sources of toxoplasma infection is the first report of cured pork as a risk factor for infection. Further research is required to determine cyst viability in cured pork products. Our findings suggest that in southern Italy, cured pork and raw meat should be avoided by susceptible pregnant women.

Type
Special Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 116 , Issue 3 , June 1996 , pp. 347 - 351
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

References

REFERENCES

1.Remington, JS, Desmonts, G. Toxoplasmosis. In: Remington, JS, Klein, JO, eds. Infectious diseases of the fetus and newborn infant, 3rd ed.Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1990: 89–195.Google Scholar
2.Dubey, JP, Beattie, CP. Toxoplasmosis of animals and man. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press Inc, 1988.Google Scholar
3.Ades, AE, Nokes, DJ. Modelling age and time specific incidence from seroprevalence: toxoplasmosis. Am J Epidemiol 1993; 137: 1022–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Sclavo Inc. Diagnostic and Instrument Division, Sienna, Italy. ELISA TOXO IgM (capture method). Distributed by: Sclavo Inc, Wayne, NJ, USA, 1991.Google Scholar
5.Stein, EA, Wilson, P, Kaplan, LA. Evaluation of a new ELISA procedure to detection of IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. Clin Chem 1989; 35: 1203.Google Scholar
6.Wacholder, S. Binomial regression in GLIM: estimating risk ratios and risk differences. Am J Epidemiol 1986; 123: 174–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Armitage, P, Berry, G. Statistical methods in medical research, 2nd edn.Oxford: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1987.Google Scholar
8.Jacobs, L, Remington, JS, Melton, ML. The resistance of the encysted form of Toxoplasma gondii. J Parasitol 1960; 46: 11–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Lunden, A, Uggla, A. Infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii in mutton following curing, smoking, freezing or microwave cooking. Int J Food Microbiol 1992; 15: 357–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Work, K. Resistance of Toxoplasma gondii encysted in pork. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand 1968; 73: 85–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Dubey, JP. Long term persistence of Toxoplasma gondii in tissues of pigs inoculated with T. gondii oocysts and effect of freezing on viability of tissue cysts in pork. Am J Vet Res 1988; 49: 910–3.Google Scholar
12.Dubey, JP, Thulliez, P. Persistence of tissue cysts in edible tissues of cattle fed Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. Am J Vet Res 1993; 54: 270–3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Song, Chang-Cun, Yuan, Xing-Zheng, Shen, Li-Ying, Gan, Xiao-Xian, Ding, Jiang-Zu. The effect of cobalt-60 irradiation on the infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii. Int J Parasitol 1993; 23: 89–93.Google ScholarPubMed
14.Wallace, MR, Rosetti, RJ, Olson, PE. Cats and toxoplasmosis risk in HIV infected adults. JAMA 1993; 269: 76–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Ades, AE. Methods for estimating the incidence of primary infection pregnancy: a reappraisal of toxoplasmosis and cytomegalovirus data. Epidemiol Infect 1992; 108: 367–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Payne, RA, Joynson, DHM, Balfour, AH et al. , Public Health Laboratory Service enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for detecting toxoplasma specific IgM antibody. J Clin Pathol 1987; 40: 276–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Bobic, B, Sibalic, D, Djurkovic-Djakovic, O. High levels of IgM antibodies specific for Toxoplasma gondii in pregnancy 12 years after primary toxoplasma infection. Gynecol Obstet Invest 1991; 31: 182–4.Google ScholarPubMed