Skip to main content
PMC home page
Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology logoLink to Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology
. 2001;9(1):23–31. doi: 10.1155/S1064744901000059

Survey of Obstetrician-Gynecologists in the United States About Toxoplasmosis

Jeffrey L Jones 1,✉, Vance J Dietz 1, Michael Power 2, Adriana Lopez 1, Marianna Wilson 1, Thomas R Navin 1, Ronald Gibbs 3, Jay Schulkin 2
PMCID: PMC1784635  PMID: 11368255

Abstract

Background: Although the incidence of toxoplasmosis is low in the United States, up to 6000 congenital cases occur annually. In September 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a conference about toxoplasmosis; participants recommended a survey of the toxoplasmosis-related knowledge and practices of obstetrician-gynecologists and the development of professional educational materials for them.

Methods: In the fall of 1999, surveys were mailed to a 2% random sample of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) members and to a demographically representative group of ACOGmembers known as the Collaborative Ambulatory Research Network (CARN). Responses were not significantly different for the random and CARN groups for most questions (p value shown when different).

Results: Among 768 US practicing ACOG members surveyed, 364 (47%) responded. Seven per cent (CARN 10%, random 5%) had diagnosed one or more case(s) of acute toxoplasmosis in the past year. Respondents were well-informed about how to prevent toxoplasmosis. However, only 12% (CARN 11%, random 12%) indicated that a positive Toxoplasma IgM test might be a false–positive result, and only 11% (CARN 14%, random 9%) were aware that the Food and Drug Administration sent an advisory to all ACOG members in 1997 stating that some Toxoplasma IgM test kits have high false–positive rates. Most of those surveyed (CARN 70%, random 59%; X2 p < 0.05) were opposed to universal screening of pregnant women.

Conclusions: Many US obstetrician-gynecologists will encounter acute toxoplasmosis during their careers, but they are frequently uncertain about interpretation of the laboratory tests for the disease. Most would not recommend universal screening of pregnant women.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (140.6 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Carter A. O., Frank J. W. Congenital toxoplasmosis: epidemiologic features and control. CMAJ. 1986 Sep 15;135(6):618–623. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Carter A. O., Gelmon S. B., Wells G. A., Toepell A. P. The effectiveness of a prenatal education programme for the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis. Epidemiol Infect. 1989 Dec;103(3):539–545. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800030934. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication--Chad, 1996-1999. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2000 Jan 28;49(3):57–60. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Desmonts G., Couvreur J. Congenital toxoplasmosis. A prospective study of 378 pregnancies. N Engl J Med. 1974 May 16;290(20):1110–1116. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197405162902003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dubey J. P., Lindsay D. S., Speer C. A. Structures of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites, bradyzoites, and sporozoites and biology and development of tissue cysts. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1998 Apr;11(2):267–299. doi: 10.1128/cmr.11.2.267. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Forestier F., Daffos F., Hohlfeld P., Lynch L. Les foetopathies infectieuses. Prévention, diagnostic prénatal, attitude pratique. Presse Med. 1991 Sep 28;20(30):1448–1454. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Foulon W., Naessens A., Derde M. P. Evaluation of the possibilities for preventing congenital toxoplasmosis. Am J Perinatol. 1994 Jan;11(1):57–62. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-994537. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Foulon W., Naessens A., Lauwers S., De Meuter F., Amy J. J. Impact of primary prevention on the incidence of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 1988 Sep;72(3 Pt 1):363–366. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Guerina N. G., Hsu H. W., Meissner H. C., Maguire J. H., Lynfield R., Stechenberg B., Abroms I., Pasternack M. S., Hoff R., Eaton R. B. Neonatal serologic screening and early treatment for congenital Toxoplasma gondii infection. The New England Regional Toxoplasma Working Group. N Engl J Med. 1994 Jun 30;330(26):1858–1863. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199406303302604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Henri T., Jacques S., Rene L. Twenty-two years screening for toxoplasmosis in pregnancy: Liege-Belgium. Scand J Infect Dis Suppl. 1992;84:84–85. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Holliman R. E. Congenital toxoplasmosis: prevention, screening and treatment. J Hosp Infect. 1995 Jun;30 (Suppl):179–190. doi: 10.1016/0195-6701(95)90018-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McAuley J., Boyer K. M., Patel D., Mets M., Swisher C., Roizen N., Wolters C., Stein L., Stein M., Schey W. Early and longitudinal evaluations of treated infants and children and untreated historical patients with congenital toxoplasmosis: the Chicago Collaborative Treatment Trial. Clin Infect Dis. 1994 Jan;18(1):38–72. doi: 10.1093/clinids/18.1.38. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mead P. S., Slutsker L., Dietz V., McCaig L. F., Bresee J. S., Shapiro C., Griffin P. M., Tauxe R. V. Food-related illness and death in the United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 1999 Sep-Oct;5(5):607–625. doi: 10.3201/eid0505.990502. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Remington J. S. Toxoplasmosis in the adult. Bull N Y Acad Med. 1974 Feb;50(2):211–227. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wallon M., Liou C., Garner P., Peyron F. Congenital toxoplasmosis: systematic review of evidence of efficacy of treatment in pregnancy. BMJ. 1999 Jun 5;318(7197):1511–1514. doi: 10.1136/bmj.318.7197.1511. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wilson C. B., Remington J. S., Stagno S., Reynolds D. W. Development of adverse sequelae in children born with subclinical congenital Toxoplasma infection. Pediatrics. 1980 Nov;66(5):767–774. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Wilson M., Remington J. S., Clavet C., Varney G., Press C., Ware D. Evaluation of six commercial kits for detection of human immunoglobulin M antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii. The FDA Toxoplasmosis Ad Hoc Working Group. J Clin Microbiol. 1997 Dec;35(12):3112–3115. doi: 10.1128/jcm.35.12.3112-3115.1997. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Wong S. Y., Remington J. S. Toxoplasmosis in pregnancy. Clin Infect Dis. 1994 Jun;18(6):853–862. doi: 10.1093/clinids/18.6.853. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology are provided here courtesy of Wiley

RESOURCES