What is it about?
The objective of the study was to determine the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women who attended a referral maternity facility located in Luanda (Angola), and to provide a detailed analysis of the geographical distribution and identify the risk factors.
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Why is it important?
The evaluation of the influence of demographic variables, socio-economic features, dietary habits, and hygiene and health conditions on the T. gondii infection is essential for the development of effective prevention and control strategies and the implementation of the Toxoplasmosis Surveillance Program in Angola. Our results point that there is a significant number of pregnant women in Luanda who are not immunized for toxoplasmosis and thus at risk of acquiring the primary infection during pregnancy and consequently infecting the fetus (congenital toxoplasmosis). Gestational age, the presence of pets at home, HIV-seropositivity and hepatitis B-seropositivity were identified as risk factors for T. gondii infection.
Perspectives
Writing this article was a great pleasure for me as well as a great challenge at several levels, personal, technological, logistical and financial. It involved health institutions of another continent than mine, with the difficulties inherent of a human clinical study involving the monitoring of pregnant women during months and the diagnosis of infectious diseases such as toxoplasmosis, HIV, rubella and hepatitis. There was undoubtedly the dedication unparalleled by Amélia Vueba that made it possible.
Maria do Céu Sousa
Universidade de Coimbra
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Serological prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Luanda (Angola): Geospatial distribution and its association with socio-demographic and clinical-obstetric determinants, PLoS ONE, November 2020, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241908.
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