Abstract
INTRODUCTION:
The impact of gestational toxocariasis is an understudied topic on female reproductive health. We estimated anti-Toxocara IgG prevalence among pregnant women in Brasília, Brazil, and investigated the association of the infection with history of abortion and contact with pets.
METHODS:
Infection was diagnosed using ELISA with excretory/secretory antigens. Participant information was obtained via questionnaires.
RESULTS:
Of 311 pregnant women, 23 were anti-Toxocara IgG positive. Twenty-two percent of anti-Toxocara IgG-positive participants and 26% had previously miscarried. Previous contact with pets was associated with higher toxocariasis prevalence.
CONCLUSIONS:
A direct relationship between toxocariasis and contact with pets was observed, but there was no relationship with the miscarriage prevalence.
Keywords:
Toxocara spp; Pregnancy; Animal contact
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