Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma among HIV infected and HIV non-infected individuals in North India

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a protozoan parasite, infecting most of the warm-blooded animals, including humans who are the intermediate host. Members of cat family Felidae are the definitive hosts. T. gondii infection is acquired by humans by accidental ingestion of oocysts in water, food or soil contaminated with cat feces, or by eating raw or undercooked meat containing cysts. Studies conducted worldwide indicate that toxoplasmosis is one of the most common infections of human beings[1]. Infection in immunocompetent individuals is generally asymptomatic and self-limited. However, it acquires clinical significance in immunocompromised patients, antenatal women and children born to mothers with active Toxoplasma infection. Immunocompromised patients are likely to develop Toxoplasma encephalitis, myocarditis or pneumonitis due to reactivation of the latent infection. Toxoplasma-HIV co-infected patients have a risk as high as 30% to 40% of developing Toxoplasma encephalitis, especially those with significant immunosuppression (CD4 cell count < 200 cells/μL)[2,3]. Thus, identification of latently infected immunocompromised patients by determining anti-Toxoplasma IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies becomes essential. The severity and incidence of congenital infection depends on the duration of pregnancy at the time when acute infection is acquired. Infection acquired earlier during the pregnancy can lead to severe malformations in fetus such as the classical triad of retinochoroiditis, cerebral calcification and convulsions, and still birth in some cases. Detection of IgM (immunoglobulin M) ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT