Journal of
Public Health and Epidemiology

  • Abbreviation: J. Public Health Epidemiol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2316
  • DOI: 10.5897/JPHE
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 662

Full Length Research Paper

Molecular and serological pattern of Toxoplasma gondii among rural population in four regions of Gabon

Patrice Makouloutou-Nzassi
  • Patrice Makouloutou-Nzassi
  • Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET/CENAREST), BP: 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
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Barthelemy Ngoubangoye
  • Barthelemy Ngoubangoye
  • Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769, Franceville, Gabon.
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Boris Kevin Makanga
  • Boris Kevin Makanga
  • Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET/CENAREST), BP: 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
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Larson Boundenga
  • Larson Boundenga
  • Groupe Evolution et Transmission Inter-espèce de Parasites, Unité Evolution, Épidémiologie et Résistance Parasitaire, Département de Parasitologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769, Franceville, Gabon.
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Silas Sevidzem Lendzele
  • Silas Sevidzem Lendzele
  • Département de Biologie et Ecologie Animale, Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale (IRET/CENAREST), BP: 13354, Libreville, Gabon.
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Gael Darren Maganga
  • Gael Darren Maganga
  • Institut National Supérieur d’Agronomie et de Biotechnologie (INSAB), Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), BP: 913, Franceville, Gabon.
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Jean Paul Akue
  • Jean Paul Akue
  • Unité des Parasites de la Faune et des Parasitoses Negligées, Département de Parasitologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP: 769, Franceville, Gabon.
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  •  Received: 10 November 2022
  •  Accepted: 10 January 2023
  •  Published: 30 April 2023

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory intracellular parasite that causes a zoonotic disease capable of infecting nearly all warm-blooded hosts, including humans. However, reports on the molecular prevalence of T. gondii in humans are rare in Gabon. The present study aimed to evaluate the serological and molecular prevalence of T. gondii among apparently healthy rural populations in four regions of Gabon. This study included six hundred blood samples from the Interdisciplinary Center for Medical Research (CIRMF) bank, including 300 women and 300 men living in 111 villages. Blood samples were screened using enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA), while buffy coat samples were analyzed using PCR analyses. Of the 600 samples screened, 548 (91.3%) showed IgG antibodies against T. gondii; 11 (2%) had both IgG and IgM. Among the 548 positive samples, 155 (28%) had higher IgG titers (>300 UI/ml), and 49 of them (31.6%) were detected with T. gondii DNA. The present findings on human toxoplasmosis in Gabon suggest that at an older age, reactivation of old infections seems more frequent than new infections, as indicated by the presence of T. gondii using PCR among elevated IgG subjects without IgM. Further studies should be performed to identify the genotypes of T. gondii that infect humans in Gabon.

Key words: Toxoplasma gondii, humans, DNA, Gabon.