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Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in the Roma and Non-Roma Inhabitants of Slovakia: A Cross-Sectional Seroprevalence Study

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela Antolová

    (Department of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Parasitology SAS, Hlinkova 3, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Martin Janičko

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Monika Halánová

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Peter Jarčuška

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Andrea Madarasová Gecková

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Ingrid Babinská

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Zuzana Kalinová

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Daniel Pella

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Mária Mareková

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • Eduard Veseliny

    (Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11 Košice, Slovakia)

  • HepaMeta Team

    (HepaMeta Team members are listed in Appendix A)

Abstract

The lifestyle, health and social status of the Roma are generally below the standards characteristic for the non-Roma population. This study aimed to find out the seropositivity to Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ) in the population of Roma living in segregated settlements and to compare it with the prevalence of antibodies in the non-Roma population from the catchment area of eastern Slovakia. The seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii was significantly higher in the Roma group (45.0%) than in non-Roma inhabitants (24.1%). A statistically significant difference was also recorded between the two non-Roma groups in the study, 30.4% of those from the catchment area and 19.7% from the non-catchment area were seropositive. Univariate logistic regression confirmed poverty and higher age to be significant risk factors influencing the seropositivity to T. gondii . Of the clinical symptoms analyzed in the study, only muscle and back pain were associated with seropositivity to T. gondii . The close contact of Roma with an environment contaminated by different infectious agents and the insufficient hygiene, lower level of education, poverty, lack of water and household equipment and high number of domestic animals increase the risk of infectious diseases in the Roma settlements and subsequently the spread of communicable diseases at the national or even international level.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela Antolová & Martin Janičko & Monika Halánová & Peter Jarčuška & Andrea Madarasová Gecková & Ingrid Babinská & Zuzana Kalinová & Daniel Pella & Mária Mareková & Eduard Veseliny & HepaMeta Team, 2018. "Exposure to Toxoplasma gondii in the Roma and Non-Roma Inhabitants of Slovakia: A Cross-Sectional Seroprevalence Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-9, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:3:p:408-:d:133661
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pavol Jarcuska & Daniela Bobakova & Jan Uhrin & Ladislav Bobak & Ingrid Babinska & Peter Kolarcik & Zuzana Veselska & Andrea Madarasova Geckova, 2013. "Are barriers in accessing health services in the Roma population associated with worse health status among Roma?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(3), pages 427-434, June.
    2. Benjamin Cook & Geoffrey Wayne & Anne Valentine & Anna Lessios & Ethan Yeh, 2013. "Revisiting the evidence on health and health care disparities among the Roma: a systematic review 2003–2012," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(6), pages 885-911, December.
    3. Maria Földes & Alina Covaci, 2012. "Research on Roma health and access to healthcare: state of the art and future challenges," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 57(1), pages 37-39, February.
    4. Sandra Stanković & Saša Živić & Aleksandra Ignjatović & Mariola Stojanović & Dragan Bogdanović & Sonja Novak & Jelena Vučić & Miodrag Stanković & Ljiljana Šaranac & Cvetković Vesna & Predrag Miljković, 2016. "Comparison of weight and length at birth of non-Roma and Roma newborn in Serbia," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(1), pages 69-73, January.
    5. Adriana Sudzinova & Jaroslav Rosenberger & Roy E. Stewart & Jitse P. Dijk & Sijmen A. Reijneveld, 2016. "Does poorer self-rated health mediate the effect of Roma ethnicity on mortality in patients with coronary artery disease after coronaro-angiography?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(3), pages 375-382, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zelmira Macejova & Pavol Kristian & Martin Janicko & Monika Halanova & Sylvia Drazilova & Daniela Antolova & Maria Marekova & Daniel Pella & Andrea Madarasova-Geckova & Peter Jarcuska & HepaMeta Team, 2020. "The Roma Population Living in Segregated Settlements in Eastern Slovakia Has a Higher Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome, Kidney Disease, Viral Hepatitis B and E, and Some Parasitic Diseases Compared to," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-12, April.
    2. Kabir Tombat & Jitse P. van Dijk, 2020. "Roma Health: An Overview of Communicable Diseases in Eastern and Central Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-12, October.
    3. Michal Kozubik & Jitse P. van Dijk & Daniela Filakovska Bobakova, 2019. "Aspects of Illness and Death among Roma—Have They Changed after More than Two Hundred Years?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-11, November.
    4. Richard Filčák & Daniel Škobla, 2021. "Sanitation Infrastructure at the Systemic Edge: Segregated Roma Settlements and Multiple Health Risks in Slovakia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-11, June.

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