Open AccessSerosurvey of anti-Toxocara antibodies and risk factors in adolescent and adult pregnant women of southeastern Brazil
Author(s) -
Priscila de Oliveira Azevedo,
Susana Angélica Zevallos Lescano,
Rogério Giuffrida,
Louise Bach Kmetiuk,
Andrea Pires dos Santos,
Sriveny Dangoudoubiyam,
Alexander Welker Biondo,
Vamilton Álvares Santarém
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos neglected tropical diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.99
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1935-2735
pISSN - 1935-2727
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009571
Subject(s) - toxocariasis , medicine , pregnancy , socioeconomic status , odds ratio , logistic regression , cross sectional study , public health , young adult , risk factor , obstetrics , demography , environmental health , immunology , population , helminths , biology , genetics , nursing , pathology , sociology
Toxocariasis is worldwide endemic parasitic anthropozoonosis with high risk to those in in vulnerable populations and particularly during pregnancy and childhood. Although the prevalence of anti- Toxocara spp. antibodies has been extensively studied, risk factors of pregnant women of different ages remains to be established. This study was designed to i) assess the presence of anti- Toxocara spp. antibodies in pregnant women that presented to the public health system in a city of southeastern Brazil, and ii) determine the risk factors for toxocariasis in adolescent and adult pregnant women. This cross-sectional study included 280 pregnant women (71 aged up to and including 17 years [adolescents] and 209 aged 18 years and older [adults]). Pregnant women voluntarily agreed to complete a socioeconomic questionnaire and provide serum samples. Anti- Toxocara IgG antibodies were screened by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were performed to assess the risks for toxocariasis. Overall, 20.7% of pregnant women were seropositive (33.8% of adolescents and 16.3% of adults). Prevalence in pregnant adolescents was 2.6-fold higher than in adults (Odds ration [OR]: 2.63; 95% CI: 1.42–4.86, p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis revealed that contact with soil (p = 0.01; OR = 4.76) and being in the first trimester of pregnancy (p = 0.03; OR = 0.17) had significantly greater risk of toxocariasis for adolescents, and attainment of elementary through middle school education level (p = 0.05; OR = 8.33) was a risk factor in adult pregnant women. Toxocariasis is likely underreported and neglected in adolescent pregnant women; this age group should always be monitored for toxocariasis and correspondent clinical signs, particularly at late pregnancy.