Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii among different groups of patients in Bulgaria and algorithm for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, applied in the National Reference Laboratory for Diagnosis of Parasitic Diseases, Bulgaria
1 National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Sofia, 1504, Bulgaria.
2 National Centre of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Immunology and Allergology, Sofia, 1504, Bulgaria.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2022, 14(03), 116–123
Publication history:
Received on 30 April 2022; revised on 03 June 2022; accepted on 05 June 2022
Abstract:
Background: Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common parasitic infections in Bulgaria. The diagnostic algorithm includes serological and molecular tests.
Objectives: Aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in examined persons and to discuss the algorithm for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, applied in the National Reference Laboratory for Diagnosis of Parasitic Diseases, Bulgaria.
Material and Methods: Data from the annual reports of the National Reference Laboratory for Diagnosis of Parasitic Diseases were used. The classes of specific IgG, IgM and IgA antibodies, and IgG avidity were identified by ELISA.
Results: For the period from 2011 to 2020 a total of 2969 individuals from different regions of the country were tested for toxoplasmosis in NRL, and it was found an average seropositivity of 27%. With evidence of recent infection were 18.74% of the pregnant women, 4.5% of the patients with fever of unknown origin, 3.3% of the patients with ocular involvement and 13.9% of the tested for prophylaxis. In the group of HIV infected persons we detected only latent form of toxoplasmosis in 29.9% of the examined patients.
Conclusion: For the ten-year period of the study with data on acute toxoplasmosis were 11.2% of those studied for clinical indications, and with latent infection were 27% of examined persons. We believe that the algorithm we have adopted for diagnosis is suitable for the management of the infection and helps for timely treatment in clinically manifested cases and pregnant women with data for recent infection.
Keywords:
Toxoplasmosis; Prevalence; Diagnosis; Recent Infection
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