Seroprevalence and risk factors for toxoplasmosis and toxoplasmosis/cysticercosis coinfection in patients with schizophrenia: a case-control study

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The protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and the helminth Taenia solium have been associated with the development of psychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of these infections alone and/or in coinfection in a group of patients with schizophrenia and their respective control groups, in addition to assessing the epidemiological profile of these populations and risk factors. Serum samples from 31 individuals with schizophrenia and 31 control individuals were investigated for the presence of specific antibodies against T. solium and/or T. gondii by the ELISA method. A questionnaire was administered to all participants to determine the risk factors for the infections assessed. Toxoplasmosis is present in 58.1% of individuals with schizophrenia and 48.4% of control individuals. Toxoplasmosis/cysticercosis coinfection was observed in 6.5% of individuals with schizophrenia. The act of washing hands before meals was associated with infection by T. gondii in individuals with schizophrenia. There is a high seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in individuals with schizophrenia, where the lack of hygienic habits is an important risk factor for acquiring the disease. The identification of toxoplasmosis/cysticercosis coinfection exclusively in individuals with schizophrenia demonstrates that both infections may be prevalent in individuals with this disorder.

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