Fan C.-K.CHIEN-CHING HUNGSu K.-E.Sung F.-C.Chiou H.-Y.Gil V.dos Reis Ferreira M.da C.de Carvalho J.M.Cruz C.Lin Y.-K.Tseng L.-F.Sao K.-Y.Chang W.-C.Lan H.-S.Chou S.-H.2021-12-012021-12-0120060035-9203https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33644837129&doi=10.1016%2fj.trstmh.2005.07.013&partnerID=40&md5=175a4f4afbef122b7bf83fa7bd632d89https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/588946The prevalence status of Toxoplasma gondii infection in children of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (DRSTP), Western Africa, is unknown to date. A serologic survey of T. gondii infection among pre-schoolchildren aged <5 years in the DRSTP was assessed by the latex agglutination (LA) test from November 2003 to March 2004. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was not low, reaching 21.49% (26/121). No significant gender difference in seroprevalence was found between boys (19.30%; 11/57) and girls (23.44%; 15/64) (X2=0.31, P = 0.58). The older age group of 4-5 years had significantly higher seroprevalence (36.67%; 11/30) than the younger age group of <2 years (10.34%; 3/29) (χ2 = 5.64, P = 0.02). It was noteworthy that the majority of seropositive boys (90.91%; 10/11) or older children aged ?2 years (82.61%; 19/23) had high LA titres of ?1:1024, indirectly indicating acute Toxoplasma infection. This study is the first report indicating that T. gondii infection is not low in pre-schoolchildren aged <5 years in the DRSTP. Whether the DRSTP pre-schoolchildren acquire T. gondii infection through constant exposure to the parasite from their daily activities owing to poor environmental hygiene should be further evaluated. ? 2005 Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.[SDGs]SDG3protozoon antibody; acute disease; Africa; age; antibody titer; article; childhood disease; controlled study; female; health survey; human; latex agglutination test; male; preschool child; seroprevalence; sex difference; Toxoplasma gondii; toxoplasmosis; Africa, Western; Animals; Chi-Square Distribution; Child, Preschool; Developing Countries; Endemic Diseases; Female; Humans; Infant; Latex Fixation Tests; Male; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Toxoplasmosis; Protozoa; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasma gondiijournal article10.1016/j.trstmh.2005.07.013162600152-s2.0-33644837129