Seroprevalence, risk factors and impact of Toxoplasma gondii infection on haematological parameters in the Ashanti region of Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

<ns5:p> <ns5:bold>Background:</ns5:bold> 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. </ns5:p> <ns5:p> <ns5:bold>Methods:</ns5:bold> Questionnaires were administered to 300 consenting individuals to obtain demographic information and assessment of their risk of exposure to <ns5:italic>T. gondii</ns5:italic> . Using anti- <ns5:italic>T. gondii</ns5:italic> IgG/IgM combo test kits, seropositivity to parasite-specific IgG and/or IgM was determined. A haematological analyser was used to measure haematological parameters. </ns5:p> <ns5:p> <ns5:bold>Results:</ns5:bold> 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 regard to settlement type, 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, contact with raw meat [RR (95% CI: 1.76 (1.23-2.53), 1.66 (1.03-2.67), 1.25(1.00-1.57)] and age (p&lt;0.001) as risk factors for infection. Analyses of haematological data revealed significant reduction in the white blood cell, lymphocytes and mean corpuscular volume levels in seropositive males (p=0.0223, 0.0275, and 0.0271) respectively. Only the mean corpuscular volume of seropositive females reduced significantly as compared to the seronegative counterparts (p=0.0035). </ns5:p> <ns5:p> <ns5:bold>Conclusions:</ns5:bold> About half of the study population, including women of reproductive age carried antibodies against <ns5:italic>T. gondii</ns5:italic> , raising concerns about the risk of congenital toxoplasmosis and anaemia. We, therefore, recommend that screening for <ns5:italic>Toxoplasma gondii</ns5:italic> be included in the routine screening of pregnant women seeking antenatal care and further investigation should be conducted on the haematological implications of infection in humans. </ns5:p>

Topics & Concepts