Korean J Prev Med.  2001 Nov;34(4):444-446.

The Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Teachers of Child-bearing Age in Cheju Island

• Bae JM
• Yang HJ
• Hong SC

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Toxoplasmosis is a member of the zoonosis group and may cause congenital infection. Antibody positive rates of toxoplasmosis were examined in high school students in Cheju, Korea to facilitate the study aim of examining the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in school teachers of child-bearing age in Cheju Island.
METHODS
The study population comprised teachers of child-bearing age in primary, middle and high schools, aged 35 years and younger, who wished to be tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies (IgG) by the indirect latex agglutination test (ILA) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method.
RESULTS
The overall antibody positive rate was 3.8% in the study subjects (n=314), a rate which showed no significant difference due to birth place, history of bringing up pets, or history of contacting a cat.
CONCLUSION
We confirmed that the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in a population of child-bearing teachers in Cheju Island was the same as that previously reported in other parts of Korea.

Keyword

Toxoplasma; Seroprevalence; Pregnancy

MeSH Terms

Animals
Antibodies
Cats
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Humans
Jeju-do*
Korea
Latex Fixation Tests
Pregnancy
Residence Characteristics
Seroepidemiologic Studies*
Toxoplasma*
Toxoplasmosis*
Antibodies