Toxoplasma gondii infection: Relationship between seroprevalence and risk factors among inhabitants in two offshore islands from Taiwan

A seroepidemiological study of toxoplasmosis among inhabitants of Penghu Is land and Kinmen Island offshore of Taiwan was performed using the latex agg lutination test from July 1999 to June 2000. In order to determine risk fac tors for Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection, the effects of a history of eating raw/undercooked meats and raising pets were focused on using a se lf-administrated questionnaire. The seroprevalence (28.2%; 190/673) in Kinm en Island was significantly higher than that (2.7%; 8/293) in Penghu Island (P < 0.001). A significant difference in seroprevalence between both sexes was found in Kinmen Island (P < 0.05), but not in Penghu Island. The resul ts of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the older the age, the higher the OR in both Islands, yet a significant difference in seroprev alence between children and adults or the elderly was observed in Kinmen Is land (P < 0.001). Moreover, those who had histories of raising cats or eati ng raw/undercooked meats seemed to have greater opportunities to become inf ected with T. gondii (OR=2.9, 95% CI=1.9-4.5, P < 0.001; OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.1 -2.1, P < 0.05). In Penghu Island, a significant association between seropr evalence and a history of raising cats was also observed (OR=4.6, 95% CI=1. 1-20.1, P < 0.05). Furthermore, workers, farmers, and fishermen seemed to b e more susceptible to T. gondii infection than students in Kinmen Island.