HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by SOBRAL, C. A. Articles by KLEIN, C. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by SOBRAL, C. A. Articles by KLEIN, C. H. Related Collections Toxoplasmosis

SEROPREVALENCE OF INFECTION WITH TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN INDIGENOUS BRAZILIAN POPULATIONS

The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in indigenous Brazilian tribes with different degrees of acculturation was studied in the Enawenê-Nawê, an isolated tribe, in the state of Mato Grosso, the Waiãpi, with intermittent non-Indian contacts, in the state of Amapá, and the Tiriyó, with constant non-Indian contacts, in the state of Pará. An IgG–enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IgG-ELISA) or an IgG/IgM–indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) assay were performed for the detection of antibodies to T. gondii in 2000–2001. Both assays showed that the Tiriyó had the lowest crude seroprevalence (55.6%), the Enawenê-Nawê the highest crude seroprevalence (80.4%), and the Waiãpi an intermediate crude seroprevalence (59.6%). The age-adjusted prevalence (95% confidence intervals) values for the Tiriyó, Enawenê-Nawê, and Waiãpi were 57.3% (53.4, 61.1%), 78.8% (72.2, 85.7%), and 57.7% (52.5, 62.9%), respectively. Contact with non-Indians probably did not influence the prevalence of the infection. However, differential contact with soil-harboring oocysts from wild felines may be responsible for the various seroprevalences in the different tribes.

Received August 26, 2003. Accepted for publication February 5, 2004.

Acknowledgments: We thank Operação Amazônia Nativa (OPAN) for providing ethnologic data for the Indian tribes, Regiane Trigueiro Vicente for technical laboratory assistance, the Director of the Protozoology Laboratory of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation for permission to use their laboratories, and Dr. Ronald Blanton (Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH) for editing the manuscript.

Financial support: This work was supported by CNPq Project 131462/00-8 from the Brazilian National Agency for Research.

Authors’ addresses: Cleide A. Sobral and Maria Regina R. Amendoeira, Department of Protozoology, Av. Brasil 4365, Pavilhão Arthur Neiva, Sala 1B, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CEP 21 045 900. Antonio Teva, Department of Immunology, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Pavihão 26, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil CEP 21 045 900. Balmukund N. Patel, The State University of Feira de Santana, Caixa Postal 252-294, Feira de Santana CEP 44031-460, Bahia, Brazil. Carlos H. Klein, Department of Epidemiology, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Av. Brasil 4365 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil CEP 21 045 900.

Reprint requests: Maria Regina R. Amendoeira, Department of Protozoology, Av. Brasil 4365, Pavilhão Arthur Neiva, Sala 1B, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, CEP 21 045 900, Telephone: 55-21-2598-4336 or 4337, Fax: 55-21-2280-5449 or 2598 4220. E-mails: amendoeira{at}fiocruz.br and mramendoeira{at}bridge.com.br.