[Cross-sectional study on toxoplasmosis among female students on a university course in the Presidente Prudente region, State of São Paulo].

INTRODUCTION

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, which affects humans and other animals. The most severe form is congenital toxoplasmosis. Thus, it is important to establish the serological profile of women before pregnancy. This study aimed to analyze the serology of toxoplasmosis among female students on the nursing course at Unoeste (Universidade do Oeste Paulista), in Presidente Prudente, SP.

METHODS

Blood samples were collected from 80 female students aged 18 to 35 years after they had signed the consent statement. Occurrences of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM and IgG antibodies were determined using the ELISA method. This study was approved by the institution's ethics committee and was conducted in the Immunology Laboratory at Unoeste.

RESULTS

Among the 80 blood samples analyzed, 27 female students were positive for IgG, whereas none of them were positive for IgM antibodies.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the 80 female students, 53 (66.2%) would be susceptible to toxoplasmosis in a possible pregnancy. Twenty-seven of the female students (33.8%) were considered seropositive.