Prevalência de anticorpos IgM e IgG anti-Toxoplasma gondii em universitários do Curso de Ciências Biológicas, Pontal do Triângulo Mineiro

Objective: To investigate the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgM and IgG in the serum of Biological Sciences students at the Federal University of Uberlândia, Pontal campus. Methods: Cross-sectional prevalence study with data collection was conducted between June 2017 and February 2018. Indirect immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques were used, and semi-structured questionnaires were used to assess previous knowledge abouttoxoplasmosis. Results: 128 students aged 18 to 41 years participated in the study, 83 (64.4%) female and 45 (35.6%) male. Blood samples were collected from 106 participants, and 13 (12.3%) had anti-T gondii antibodies. Of these, 3 (2.8%) claimed to consume unpasteurized bovine milk, 3 (2.8%) raw or undercooked meat, and 1 (0.94%) raw or unhygienic vegetables. There was no statistically significant association between positivity (IgM anti-T. gondii or IgG anti-T. gondii) and the variables analyzed in the questionnaire. Conclusion: In this work, it was possible to verify the presence of IgM and IgG anti-T gondii antibodies in university students. There was no association between seropositivity and eating habits. However, the questionnaire response analysis showed risky behavior on these individuals, especially concerning frequent contact with dogs and cats, often collected on the street.