Seroprevalence of taxoplasmosis in women of childbearing age (1992-1999)

BACKGROUND: TO determine the need of prenatal screening far toxoplasmosis in our hospital from a seroepidemiological point of view. PATIENTS' AND METHODS: The prevalence of IgG anti-T. gondii was retrospectively analyzed in 7.090 women of childbearing age attended in the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona from February 1992 to April 1999. The association among the seroprevalence and the variables year, age, birthplace (province of Barcelona/other provinces) and place of residence (urban/rural) was analyzed, RESULTS: A decreasing trend was observed in the prevalence (p < 0.001), currently being < 40% in the average women between 15 and 45 years, Infection was also directly related to age of women (p < 0.001) and birthplace out of the province of Barcelona (p = 0.001). Habitat (rural or urban) was not associated with seroprevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal screening for toxoplasmosis is necessary due to the high rate of seronegative women exposed to infection and the evidence of a high number of primoinfections in the childbearing period.