TOXOPLASMOSIS IN NORTH-EAST ROMANIA. DESCRIPTIVE STUDY COUNTING CASES BETWEEN 2010 AND 2016
Keywords:
TOXOPLASMOSIS, EPIDEMIOLOGY, WATERBORNE DISEASE, MARINE, WILD FELIDAbstract
Infection with the parasite protozoa Toxoplasma gondii has a worldwide distribution. The mandatory intracellular parasite can infect humans, practically all warm-blooded animals, including mammals and birds. The study aim was to highlight descriptive epidemiology data on toxoplasmosis in patients admitted to a regional infectious disease hospital in North East Romania. Material and methods. We conducted a descriptive longitudinal study on a group of 160 patients admitted to the Iasi Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases with the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, during 2010 and 2016. Results. Annual distribution of patients with toxoplasmosis had a maximum of frequency in 2010 (34 cases – 21.25%) and a minimum in 2016 (6 cases – 3.75%), with an increasing trend for the whole interval of study. Most of the patients were females (111 cases – 69.37%; M/F ratio = 0.44), from urban area (59.0%; U/R ratio = 1.43). The most affected age group was that of 15-24 years (38 cases – 23.75%), followed by 25-34 years (36 cases – 22.50%). Children aged between 1-4 years were less affected (3 cases – 1.87%). Either infants aged 0-1 year, or elderly persons over 74 did not admitted with toxoplasmosis. Conclusions. The frequency and severity of the disease are used to assess its medical relevance, and data on this can be collected in specific studies or surveillance systems. Targets for the future could be the implementation of a surveillance system of toxoplasmosis of any kind (acquired or congenital), a vaccine and, over time, a zero-incidence level of the disease.
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