Seroprevalence and molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii among donors in a blood bank in Cucuta, Colombia

Introduction: Toxoplasma gondii infection affects humans by producing several states of disease according to individual immunity ranging from asymptomatic carriers to severe disease. It is known that multiple mechanisms of transmission are possible including blood transfusions as an alternate route of infection. Little is known about the frequency of T. gondii infection in Colombia's blood banks. Objective: To determine the prevalence of T. gondii infection in blood donors of a blood bank of Cucuta by serological and molecular diagnostic. Materials and methods: IgG and IgM antibodies against T. gondii were determined in serum by immunoassay test from 348 donors. The frequency of T. gondii DNA was determined by Polymerase Chain Reaction test (PCR) in whole blood from seropositive donors and interest variables were analyzed with information obtained from surveys during blood donor selection. Results: 134 out of 348 (38.5%) enrolled donors showed IgG antibodies against T. gondii; 2 of them (0.6%) had both IgG and IgM and in 2 out of 134 seropositive donors (1.5%) DNA of the parasite was detected in blood. A bivariate analysis indicated an association between seropositivity to T. gondii and being over 26 years of age (p= 0.020). Conclusions: The prevalence of T. gondii infection found in the blood donors of this study, suggests a significant exposure to the infectious agent that becomes relevant when parasitaemia is detected.