Toxoplasma serology in Zambian and Ugandan patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus

ABSTRACT

In the USA and Europe; toxoplasmosis is well recognized as an important cause of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised individuals. Toxoplasma gondii has been shown to be a common opportunistic infection in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the USA and Europe with published estimates ranging from 20pc to 80pc. The importance of Toxoplasma infection in East Africa has not yet been defined. The seroprevalence rates of toxoplasmosis in Zambian and Ugandan patients were determined using the dye test (DT) and the latex agglutination test (LAT). The geographical variation in seroprevalence rates noted in western countries was also found in these African countries; with Zambia showing significantly lower rates than Uganda. 34pc of Ugandan (64/186) and 4pc of Zambian (8/187) patients infected with HIV; compared with 27pc of Ugandan (26/93) and 11pc of Zambian (20/189) HIV-negative persons; had anti-Toxoplasma immunoglobulin G antibodies. With the LAT; 13pc of the Ugandan and 7pc of the Zambian sera gave a false positive result. The relevance of Toxoplasma serology in Africa is discussed