This study was performed in order to evaluate the sero-epidemiological status of toxoplasmosis in pregnant Korean women. Among 5, 175 sera and 750 amniotic fluid samples obtained from pregnant women, 41 serum samples (0.79%) and 10 (1.33%) amniotic fluid samples tested positive for IgG antibodies by ELISA. Fifty one cases showing a score more than 0.25 on ELISA were tested for PCR reaction against the SAG1 gene. Only one case of the 51 ELISA positive cases exhibited a positive reaction on all tests. This case had a history of acute nephropyelitis during early pregnancy, but fortunately, had delivered a phenotypically healthy baby. In this study, the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women was found to be comparatively low, consistent with previous reports from Korea. However our trials, performed with a variety of diagnostic tools, were considered to be useful for the precise diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.
Adult ; Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Female ; Humans ; Korea/epidemiology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications/diet therapy/*epidemiology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/*immunology ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology

In recent years, worldwide surveys of Toxoplasma gondii infection in dogs have been reported. However, only limited surveys of T. gondii infection in police dogs have been available, including China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii in police dogs in Shenyang, northeastern China. Sera from 291 police dogs were examined for T. gondii antibodies with the modified agglutination test (MAT), and 30.9% animals were tested seropositive. The results of the present study indicated a relatively high prevalence of T. gondii infection in police dogs in Shenyang, China.
Agglutination Tests/veterinary ; Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; China/epidemiology ; Dog Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*epidemiology/parasitology

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a parasitic zoonosis with worldwide distribution. The present study investigated the prevalence of T. gondii in dogs in Zhanjiang city, southern China, using both serological and molecular detection. A total of 364 serum samples and 432 liver tissue samples were collected from the slaughter house between December 2012 and January 2013 and were examined for T. gondii IgG antibody by ELISA and T. gondii DNA by semi-nested PCR based on B1 gene, respectively. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii IgG antibody was 51.9%, and T. gondii DNA was detected in 37 of 432 (8.6%) liver tissue samples. These positive DNA samples were analyzed by PCR-RFLP at 3'- and 5'-SAG2. Only 8 samples gave the PCR-RFLP data, and they were all classified as type I, which may suggest that the T. gondii isolates from dogs in Zhanjiang city may represent type I or type I variant. This study revealed the high prevalence of T. gondii infection in dogs in Zhanjiang city, southern China. Integrated measures should be taken to prevent and control toxoplasmosis in dogs in this area for public health concern.
Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; China/epidemiology ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Female ; Genotype ; Liver/parasitology ; Male ; Toxoplasma/classification/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/blood/epidemiology/*parasitology

The principal objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in household and stray cats in Seoul, Republic of Korea. We collected blood samples from 72 stray and 80 household cats, and all samples were examined by ELISA and nested PCR. The overall positive rates of Toxoplasma gondii in stray cats were 38.9% (28/72), with 15.3% (11/72) in ELISA and 30.6% (22/72) in PCR. The positive rate in male stray cats was slightly higher than that of female stray cats. The highest positive rate of T. gondii infection was noted in Gangnam and Songpa populations in ELISA and in Gwangjin population in PCR. In household cats, however, we could not detect any specific antibodies or DNA for T. gondii. In conclusion, we recognized that the infection rate of toxoplasmosis in stray cats in Seoul was considerably high but household cats were free from infection.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic/parasitology ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; Cat Diseases/*epidemiology/immunology/parasitology ; Cats ; Female ; Male ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Toxoplasma/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*epidemiology/immunology/parasitology

A total of 542 children under 10 years of age, admitted to the Seoul National University Children's Hospital, was examined for antibody titers of Toxoplasma gondii using indirect latex agglutination (ILA) test. Among them, 7.7% showed positive titers higher than 1:32, without significant difference between males (7.3%) and females (8.5%). The seropositive rate increased with age although the statistical significance was negligible (0.05 < P < 0.1). By residential areas, the prevalence appeared higher among children from southern provinces (Kyongsang-do and Cholla do) than those from other areas, but the statistical significance was also very low (0.05 < P < 0.1). When the seropositive cases were analyzed by coincidental diseases, the prevalence was significantly higher in patients with congenital diseases than in patients with non-congenital diseases (P < 0.05). The results showed that the seropositive rate of toxoplasmosis in children examined was not high compared with other endemic countries. Some correlations are suggested between toxoplasmosis and congenital anomalies in Korea.
Animal ; Antibodies, Protozoan/blood* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Human ; Infant ; Korea/epidemiology ; Latex Fixation Tests ; Male ; Prevalence ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/immunology* ; Toxoplasmosis/epidemiology*

Although Toxoplasma gondii infection in primary school children has been investigated in many countries, limited surveys have been available in primary school children in China. In the present study, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Sera from 6,000 primary school children were evaluated for T. gondii antibodies with ELISA. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was 16.0% (961/6,000), of which 14.5% (870/6,000) were positive for anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies, 3.4% (206/6,000) positive for IgM, and 1.9% (115/6,000) were positive for both IgG and IgM. The results of the present investigation indicated a high seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in primary school children in Shandong province, China. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to prevent and control T. gondii infection in primary school children in this province. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in primary school children in Shandong province, China.
Antibodies, Protozoan/blood ; Child ; China/epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Students ; Toxoplasma/genetics/immunology/*isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis/blood/*epidemiology/*parasitology

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the major agents of infectious abortions and due to its worldwide distribution can threat healthy pregnant women who had no previous exposure to this parasite. The present study was designed to investigate the contribution of T. gondii to spontaneous abortions in Zanjan, Northwest of Iran, using ELISA method. Blood Samples were collected from 264 mothers referred to the provincial hospitals of Zanjan due to spontaneous abortion. The sera were isolated and subjected to evaluate the anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies. The results showed IgG positive (IgG+) in 99 cases (37.5%). A total of 68 women (25.8%) showed seroconversion with IgM or IgA or both IgM and IgA. They included: IgM+ in 21 (8.0%), IgA+ in 23 (8.7%) and both IgM+ and IgA+ in 24 (9.1%) subjects. In 23 cases, positive titers of IgM and IgG were accompanied. In general, the analysis of anti-Toxoplasma antibody patterns, showed that about 17% of the spontaneous abortions were associated with serological patterns of acute infection. According to these findings, a considerable proportion of spontaneous abortions can be attributed to T. gondii in the study area.
Abortion, Spontaneous/immunology/*parasitology ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A/blood ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Immunoglobulin M/blood ; Iran/epidemiology ; Mothers ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic/*immunology/parasitology ; Toxoplasma/*immunology ; Toxoplasmosis, Congenital/*immunology/parasitology

Seroepidemiological changes of Toxoplasma gondii infection among the residents of the islands of Gangwha-gun, Incheon for 2 years were surveyed and evaluated by ELISA using a crude extract antigen. In 2010, sera of 919 adult residents in Gyodong-myeon and 313 adults in Samsan-myeon were collected and checked for IgG antibody titers, which showed 14.5% (133 sera) and 19.8% (62 sera) positive rates, respectively. In 2011, sera of 955 adults in Gyodong-myeon and 341 adults in Samsan-myeon were examined, which showed an increase of positive rates to 23.8% (227 sera) and 31.7% (108 sera), respectively. Totally, the seroprevalence of the first year was 15.8% and it increased rapidly to 25.8% in the second year. The positive rates of both sexes increased simultaneously with the significant ratio of males to females by 1.7-2.2 fold (P<0.05). In both myeons, 661 sera were collected every year and showed changes in optical density (OD) in 177 sera; newly found as positives in 73 persons (11.0%), negative conversion in 10 persons (1.5%), and maintained or increased in 94 persons (14.2%). This rapid increase in the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in Gangwha islands may be due to in part peculiar changes in the toxoplasmic environment of the islands and presumably the consumption of the pork bred domestically within the islands or imported from high endemic nations. It is necessary to find out symptomatic toxoplasmic patients and confirm the risk factors for further infection in the islands of Gangwha-gun.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; Antigens, Protozoan/diagnostic use/isolation & purification ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G/blood ; Islands/epidemiology ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Mice ; Middle Aged ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/*immunology ; Toxoplasmosis/*epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the Toxoplasma gondii (TOX) infection in males with sterility and the effect of the infection on the reproductive function of males.

METHODSEnzyme linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect TOX-CAg, TOX-IgG and TOX-IgM in the peripheral blood of male patients with sterility.

RESULTSAmong 100 cases of male sterility, 7 were TOX-IgG positive (7%), 16 TOX-IgM positive (16%) and 13 TOX-CAg positive (13%). Among 100 normal males, 7 were TOX-IgG positive (7%), 3 TOX-IgM positive (3%) and 1 TOX-CAg positive (1%).

CONCLUSIONTOX infection may affect the fertility of males and cause male sterility. For this reason, males should prevent themselves from TOX infection.

Adult ; Animals ; Antibodies, Protozoan ; blood ; Antigens, Protozoan ; blood ; China ; epidemiology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; Immunoglobulin M ; blood ; Infertility, Male ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; Male ; Toxoplasma ; immunology ; Toxoplasmosis ; complications ; epidemiology

The breeding of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) for human consumption has a long tradition in China. Infections that can affect the production of meat or even be transmitted from animals to humans are important to monitor, especially for public health reasons as well as for their impact on animal health. Thus, a total of 1,132 domestic rabbit sera from 4 regions in China were collected for serological screening for Encephalitozoon cuniculi and for Toxoplasma gondii by ELISA and modified agglutination test (MAT), respectively. Antibodies to E. cuniculi were detected in 248/1,132 (21.9%) sera tested while antibodies against T. gondii revealed a seroprevalence of 51/1,132 (4.5%). We believe that the present results are of epidemiological implications and public health importance due to the acknowledged susceptibility of humans to E. cuniculi and T. gondii infections. Therefore, routine screening tests of domestic rabbits are proposed considering the zoonotic potential of these parasites.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic/blood/microbiology/parasitology ; Antibodies, Fungal/*blood ; Antibodies, Protozoan/*blood ; China/epidemiology ; Encephalitozoon cuniculi/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Encephalitozoonosis/blood/microbiology/*veterinary ; Female ; Male ; Rabbits/blood/microbiology/parasitology ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Toxoplasma/*immunology/isolation & purification ; Toxoplasmosis, Animal/*blood/parasitology