Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection in primary school children in Henan province, central China

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite with global distribution. However, data on T. gondii infection among children in primary school in Henan province, central China were lacking. In this study, 2451 serum samples of primary school children in this province were collected from September 2015 to October 2018 and evaluated for T. gondii antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The overall seroprevalence was 9.51% (233/2451), of which 7.59% (186/2451) showed IgG positivity, 0.73% (18/2451) IgM and 1.18% (29/2451) both. The main risk factors related to T. gondii infections were the age of children, residence area, contact with cats, and exposure to soil. Moreover, hand washing before eating was considered a protective factor. Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among the study population was common, emphasizing the need to prevent and control this infection. This is the first report of T. gondii seroprevalence in primary school children in Henan province, central China.