Presence of domesticated cats and visual impairment associated to Toxoplasma gondii serum positive children at an elementary school in Jataizinho, state of Paraná, Brazil

• Published in: Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria 2008-01, Vol.17 (1), p.12-15
• Main Authors: Lopes, Fabiana Maria R, Gonçalves, Daniela Dib, Dos Reis, Célia R, Breganó, Regina M, Freire, Roberta L, de Freitas, Julio César, Navarro, Italmar T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Protozoan - blood; Brazil; Cats; Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - blood; PARASITOLOGY; Surveys and Questionnaires; Toxoplasma - immunology; Toxoplasmosis - blood; Toxoplasmosis - epidemiology; VETERINARY SCIENCES; Vision Disorders - blood
• ISSN: 0103-846X; 1984-2961; 1984-2961
• DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612008000100003

Toxoplasmosis possess worldwide geographic distribution and high serological prevalence in human beings and animals. Acquired way is, in the majority of the times, light or asymptomatic however, in approximately 15% of the cases can be developed the ocular form. The aim of this study is to research the occurrence of IgG anti- Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in children at an elementary school in Jataizinho (PR) and relate some factors with the epidemiology of the toxoplasmosis. A total of 276 samples of blood by using indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) where 128 (46.4%) were detected positives. The analysis of the variables indicated that the presence of domestic cats in the household was an important factor associated to the infection by T. gondii (OR= 3.45; 1.61- 7.45) as well as to the children who described any kind of visual impairment (OR= 3.19; 1.11 - 9.35).