IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH TO MONITOR ACUTE TOXOPLASMOSIS SCREENING IN PREGNANT WOMEN AT PUBLIC HOSPITALS FROM JUJUY PROVINCE, ARGENTINA: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONGENITAL TOXOPLASMOSIS PREVENTION

MARÍA INÉS, RODRÍGUEZ; NOELIA, GÓMEZ; MARÍA ALEJANDRA, DÍAZ; FABIOLA PARUSSINI

CABA

Congreso; REUNION CONJUNTA DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS; 2017

Sociedades Argentinas:de Investigación Clínicas, de Investigación Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, de Inmunología, de Andrología, de Biofísica, de Biología, de Farmacología Experimental, de Fisiología, de Hematología, de Protozoología

The major problem in public health related to Toxoplasmosis is when women ofchildbearing age acquire Acute Toxoplasmosis (AT) infection during pregnancy.In these cases, congenital toxoplasmosis canbe vertically transmitted to the fetus, and causes serious congenital defects.At the Ingeniero Carlos Snopek Public Hospital (Jujuy province, Argentina) aretrospective population-based study was conducted to analyze theseroprevalence of toxoplasmosis infection in almost 1600 pregnant women, whorequested prenatal screening. According to the detection of immunoglobulin (IgG,IgM) and IgG avidity testing, the patients were classified as: susceptible,with chronic infection, and with suspected or confirmed AT. The studyobjectives were: to characterize the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis accordingto the age of the patients; to monitor the efficacy of AT screening at thehospital, and to identify factors that could make difficult the early diagnosisof AT. The results show that toxoplasmosis infection was observed in 44.2% ofpregnant women and its prevalence increased with the age of the patients up to67% between 36 and 40 years old. Within the group with positive immunity, 15(0.94%) were diagnosed with suspected AT. The high IgG avidity, during thefirst trimester, discarded AT in 9 women. In one case (0.06%), AT was confirmed,and in the 5 remaining cases the diagnosis was not completed. On the otherhand, the follow-up of susceptible patients showed that 77.1% (n = 602)received only one serological control throughout the pregnancy, 27.82% (n =133) received two controls, and 1.45% (n= 9) one control per trimester. Weconcluded that active toxoplasmosis in pregnant women attending at thementioned public hospital is among the highest values ​​reported in Argentina.However, the algorithm of AT screening confirmed a single case at the hospital.We will discuss about possible problems that hinder the efficientimplementation of the algorithm for early diagnosis of AT in pregnant womenliving in vulnerable contexts.