Evaluation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in a teaching hospital after the introduction of gestational and congenital toxoplasmosis in the national compulsory notification list

• Grant number: 19/08385-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Epidemiology
• Principal Investigator: Cinara de Cássia Brandão
• Grantee: Larissa Martins Olímpio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto (FAMERP). Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Econômico (São Paulo - Estado). São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is an infection of high global prevalence in which the majority of affected individuals are asymptomatic. However, gestational infection with Toxoplasma gondii is a serious public health problem, since the vertical transmission of toxoplasmosis can cause severe impacts in newborns. The general objective of this project is to evaluate the congenital T. gondii infection in pregnant women submitted to amniocentesis for the molecular diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), attended in a clinic of high risk gestation and fetal medicine, from 2017, the year in which gestational and congenital toxoplasmosis was inserted in the National Compulsory Notification List. The data of the pregnant women will be evaluated and the data of infection by T. gondii - type of serological method performed and the class of antibodies identified - IgG, IgM and avidity of IgG - and the gestational period in which those antibodies were identified. The data collected will be compared with the use of Fisher's exact test and / or chi-square test (when applicable) and the t test for continuous variables. Odds Ratio values and the 95% confidence interval will also be calculated. The alpha value adopted will be 5%. The results are expected to contribute to the knowledge of the importance of gestational infection by T. gondii, to elucidate the effects of fetal infection in children attended at a School Hospital and to evaluate the impact of compulsory notification of congenital and gestational toxoplasmosis. In addition, it is expected that the development of this project will allow the continuous training of students of scientific initiation in the area of epidemiology of infectious-parasitic diseases of importance to maternal-fetal and child health.