In this study, latex agglutination test (LAT) was used to detect sera anti-toxoplasma antibodies of Atayal aborigines and local animals in Nanao district, Ilan county and Jen-ai district, Nantou county as a measure of exposure to the Toxoplasma gondii. Out of 422 Atayal aborigines and 64 different animals were tested in Nan-ao district and 82 Atayal children in Jen-ai district were also screened, the positive rates for sera anti-toxoplasma antibodies were 21.8%, 17.2% and 15.9%, respectively. In Nan-ao district, neither were the positive rates significantly different in males (22.1%) and females (21.4%), nor in humans (21.8%) and dogs (19.6%) (p>0.05). The seroprevalence in adults (28.3%) was significantly higher than that in children (18.7%) (p<0.05), and the highest seropositive rate (38.1%) was in the age group 50-59 years and the lowest (7.7%) was in the age group 1-9 years. In general, the age pattern of prevalence is consistent with increasing duration of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii with age. For animals, the seropositive rate in dogs (19.6%) was also significantly higher than that in wild rats (7.7%) (p<0.05). No significant difference in seropositive rate of Atayal children was observed between Nan-ao and Jen-ai districts(p>0.05).
In this study, latex agglutination test (LAT) was used to detect sera anti-toxoplasma antibodies of Atayal aborigines and local animals in Nanao district, Ilan county and Jen-ai district, Nantou county as a measure of exposure to the Toxoplasma gondii. Out of 422 Atayal aborigines and 64 different animals were tested in Nan-ao district and 82 Atayal children in Jen-ai district were also screened, the positive rates for sera anti-toxoplasma antibodies were 21.8%, 17.2% and 15.9%, respectively. In Nan-ao district, neither were the positive rates significantly different in males (22.1%) and females (21.4%), nor in humans (21.8%) and dogs (19.6%) (p>0.05). The seroprevalence in adults (28.3%) was significantly higher than that in children (18.7%) (p<0.05), and the highest seropositive rate (38.1%) was in the age group 50-59 years and the lowest (7.7%) was in the age group 1-9 years. In general, the age pattern of prevalence is consistent with increasing duration of exposure to Toxoplasma gondii with age. For animals, the seropositive rate in dogs (19.6%) was also significantly higher than that in wild rats (7.7%) (p<0.05). No significant difference in seropositive rate of Atayal children was observed between Nan-ao and Jen-ai districts(p>0.05).