Soropositividade de anticorpos anti-Toxoplasma gondii e anti-Trypanosoma cruzi em populações ribeirinhas do recôncavo baiano

Abstract

Chagas disease (CD) and toxoplasmosis are parasitic zoonoses with a major public health impact, particularly in regions with unfavorable socioeconomic conditions. Riverside populations may be more exposed to infectious agents due to environmental and sanitary factors, and limited access to health services. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with toxoplasmosis and CD in riverside populations of the Recôncavo Baiano region, Bahia, Brazil. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and qualitative study was conducted between April 2022 and August 2024, involving the population of the cities of Cabaceiras do Paraguaçu and Cachoeira, in the Recôncavo Baiano region. A questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information, hygiene habits, and health status. Serological tests were also performed to detect IgM and IgG antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and total antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi. For toxoplasmosis, in Cabaceiras do Paraguaçu, 74 individuals were screened, with a mean age of 33.84 (± 20.92). The majority were female, over 31 years of age, with a family income below one minimum wage, self-identified as Black, and family farmers. In Cachoeira, 163 individuals were screened, with a mean age of 21.45 (± 13.78), the majority being in the age range of 0 to 14 years, female, with an income below one minimum wage, students, and self-identified as Black. In Cabaceiras do Paraguaçu, 40 (54.1%) individuals were reactive for IgG anti-T. gondii, while one (1.4%) was reactive for IgM. In Cachoeira, 80 (49.1%) were reactive for IgG anti-T. gondii, while 6 (3.7%) were positive for IgM. Individuals aged 31 years or older (Cabaceiras do Paraguaçu) and 15 years or older (Cachoeira) were associated with a higher chance of presenting IgG anti-T. gondii. A total of 135 individuals from Cabaceiras do Paraguaçu and Cachoeira were included in the CD analyses. Among them, two individuals (1.5%) tested positive for total anti-T. cruzi antibodies. Most participants were female (62.2%), self-identified as Black or mixed race (78.5%), had a family income below one minimum wage (69.6%), and had low levels of education. Although riverside populations are present in several places around the world, data on them are scarce and fragmented. To date, there are few studies on communicable diseases, such as toxoplasmosis, in riverside communities. Our study contributes to the understanding of the prevalence of toxoplasmosis and CD, and associated risk factors in these populations. This data is important for developing public policies that reach these populations and connect with their way of life.