Toxoplasma antibodies in Indonesian and Chinese medical students in Jakarta.

ABSTRACT

The presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in medical students of Indonesian and Chinese ancestry was determined by the indirect hemagglutination test with titers of 1256 or greater considered positive. The sera from 90 Indonesian and 203 Chinese male (146) and female (147) students between 20 and 30 years of age were tested and positive titers detected in the sera of 16 (18%) Indonesians and 14 (7%) of the Chinese. There were no difference between the presence of positive titer and between males and females of either ethnic groups. Both groups denied eating raw or partly cooked meats and no correlation could be found between the ownership of domestic cats, the eating of exotic meats and positive titers.