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

BACKGROUND: TO determine the need of prenatal screening far toxoplasmosis i n our hospital from a seroepidemiological point of view. PATIENTS' AND METHODS: The prevalence of IgG anti-T. gondii was retrospecti vely analyzed in 7.090 women of childbearing age attended in the Hospital C linic of Barcelona from February 1992 to April 1999. The association among the seroprevalence and the variables year, age, birthplace (province of Bar celona/other provinces) and place of residence (urban/rural) was analyzed, RESULTS: A decreasing trend was observed in the prevalence (p < 0.001), cur rently 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 as sociated with seroprevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal screening for toxoplasmosis is necessary due to the h igh rate of seronegative women exposed to infection and the evidence of a h igh number of primoinfections in the childbearing period.