Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

The Korea Society for Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (대한기생충학·열대의학회)
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Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii among School Children in Pyin Oo Lwin and Naung Cho, Upper Myanmar

  • Thai, Thi Lam (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Jun, Hojong (Department of Tropical Medicine, and Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine) ;
  • Park, Seo-Hye (Department of Tropical Medicine, and Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine) ;
  • Le, Huong Giang (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Jinyoung (Department of Tropical Medicine, and Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine) ;
  • Ahn, Seong Kyu (Department of Tropical Medicine, and Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine) ;
  • Kang, Jung-Mi (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Myint, Moe Kyaw (Department of Medical Research Pyin Oo Lwin Branch) ;
  • Lin, Khin (Department of Medical Research Pyin Oo Lwin Branch) ;
  • Sohn, Woon-Mok (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Nam, Ho-Woo (Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea) ;
  • Na, Byoung-Kuk (Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Kim, Tong-Soo (Department of Tropical Medicine, and Inha Research Institute for Medical Sciences, Inha University School of Medicine)
  • Received : 2019.03.17
  • Accepted : 2019.04.25
  • Published : 2019.06.30
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Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite that can cause toxoplasmosis in a wide range of warm-blooded animals including humans. In this study, we analyzed seroprevalence of T. gondii among 467 school children living in the rural areas of Pyin Oo Lwin and Naung Cho, Myanmar. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii among school children was 23.5%; 22.5% of children were positive for T. gondii IgG, 0.4% of children were positive for T. gondii IgM, and 0.6% of children were positive for both T. gondii IgG and IgM. Geographical factors did not significantly affect the seroprevalence frequency between Pyin Oo Lwin and Naung Cho, Myanmar. No significant difference was found between males (22.2%) and females (25.0%). The overall seroprevalence among school children differed by ages (10 years old [13.6%], 11-12 years old [19.8%], 13-14 years old [24.6%], and 15-16 years old [28.0%]), however, the result was not significant. Polymerase chain reaction analysis for T. gondii B1 gene for IgG-positive and IgM-positive blood samples were negative, indicating no direct evidence of active infection. These results collectively suggest that T. gondii infection among school children in Myanmar was relatively high. Integrated and improved strategies including reinforced education on toxoplasmosis should be implemented to prevent and control T. gondii infection among school children in Myanmar.

Keywords

References

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