Risk Factors and Ocular Health Associated with Toxoplasmosis in Quilombola Communities

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence, associated risk factors, and ocular health outcomes related to Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity in 161 residents from four Quilombolas communities in the northern region of Tocantins, Brazilian Legal Amazon. Peripheral blood samples were collected and tested by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and/or Immunoglobulin M (IgM) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), while a standardized form was used to collect sociodemographic, health, and behavioral data. Statistical analysis, conducted using Epi-Info 3.3.2, considered T. gondii seropositivity as the primary outcome, with a significance level less than 5% (p ≤ 0.05). An overall seroprevalence of 62.11% (100/161) was observed. Key risk factors significantly, as measured by the Odds Ratio (OR), associated with T. gondii seropositivity included being elderly (OR: 4.07, CI: 2.05-8.06, p < 0.01), having cats (OR: 5.56, CI: 2.74-22.27, p < 0.01), a low parental education level (OR: 2.97, CI: 1.46-6.02, p < 0.01), children playing on the ground (OR: 2.50, CI: 1.30-4.82, p < 0.01), and having a home vegetable garden (OR: 3.80, CI: 1.94-7.47, p < 0.01). Regarding ocular health, no conclusive direct association was established between T. gondii seropositivity and specific ocular manifestations when analyzed for children and the elderly separately. Observed ocular problems in the grouped population were primarily linked to age-related comorbidities rather than parasitic infection. High rates of T. gondii seropositivity, driven by specific environmental and socioeconomic factors, highlight the vulnerability of these communities, emphasizing the need for targeted preventive strategies.