Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among individuals with intellectual disability in Hormozgan Province, southern Iran.
Adults with ID in southern Iran carry Toxoplasma antibodies at community levels, so routine disability-based screening is unnecessary.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team drew blood from 117 adults with intellectual disability living in Hormozgan, southern Iran.
They checked the blood for IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis.
What they found
About 30% of the adults carried the antibodies, meaning they had been exposed at some point.
This rate was close to the local general population, so the infection is not more common in this disability group.
How this fits with other research
Plant et al. (2007) saw a much higher rate—77%—in 336 residents of northern Iranian centers, yet they also concluded risk was no higher than the community norm.
The numbers look opposite, but both studies say the same bottom line: prevalence mirrors the surrounding region, not the disability itself.
Douraghi et al. (2012) used the same survey style for H. pylori and likewise found high raw numbers that simply reflected local background rates.
Why it matters
You can stop wondering if every client with ID needs extra toxoplasma screens. Ask about region, not diagnosis. If local public-health data show high community rates, follow those guidelines; if not, save the blood draw for clearer medical reasons.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: People with mental defects are more likely to get the infection due to their low levels of health care and personal hygiene. The current study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection among individuals with intellectual disabilities in Hormozgan province, southern Iran. METHODS: The study population was 117 individuals with intellectual disabilities. Venous blood (3 mL) was taken from each subject. A commercial ELISA kit was used to determine anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies. RESULTS: Of 117 recruited subjects, 55 (47.0%) were men and 62 (53.0%) were women. The mean age of participants was 27.6 (±12.31) years. Out of 117 studied subjects, 76 had severe and 41 had profound intellectual disabilities. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies were detected in the sera of 35 out of 117 (29.9%) individuals. Seropositivity to toxoplasmosis was significantly higher in severe than in individuals with profound intellectual disabilities (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant association between Toxoplasma infection and age, sex and duration of residency in the rehabilitation centre. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that the prevalence of Toxoplasma in people with intellectual disabilities is not much different from other groups of the community.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2023 · doi:10.1111/jir.13041