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Abstract

BACKGROUND

is a zoonotic protozoan capable of infecting warm-blooded animal species and humans. Although toxoplasmosis presents mostly as mild or asymptomatic infection in immunocompetent individuals, in unborn children and people with weakened immune systems, the disease can be severe with ocular, neurological or multi-systemic manifestations and even death.

AIM

We aimed to collate and analyse data on seroprevalence in humans to model and compare age-dependent prevalence in geographic regions in Europe.

METHODS

A systematic review identified 1,822 scientific publications, from which seroprevalence data were extracted from 69 studies. Data were analysed using a Bayesian hierarchical model.

RESULTS

The modelling of the seroprevalence indicated the highest incidence rates in eastern (50%) and western (48%) Europe, with the lowest estimates in northern Europe (18%) and the United Kingdom (UK) (18%). Eastern and western Europe were regions where infections occurred earliest in life, with half of the population expected to be seropositive by the age of 44 and 47 years, respectively. In contrast, in northern Europe and the UK the modelled median time to infection exceeded 170 years.

CONCLUSION

Results of the study provide a robust baseline for future epidemiological research on human infections in Europe and may be useful to validate subsequent research, such as risk assessment studies.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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2025-09-02
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Systematic review and modelling of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in humans, Europe, 2000 to 2021
<p class="citation"> <span>Citation style for this article:</span> <span class="meta-value authors"> <a href="/search?value1=Ingrid+HM+Friesema&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Friesema Ingrid HM</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Helga+Waap&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Waap Helga</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Arno+Swart&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Swart Arno</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Adriana+Gy%C3%B6rke&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Györke Adriana</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Delphine+Le+Roux&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Le Roux Delphine</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Francisco+MD+Evangelista&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Evangelista Francisco MD</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Furio+Spano&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Spano Furio</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Gereon+Schares&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Schares Gereon</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Gunita+Deksne&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Deksne Gunita</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Maria+Jo%C3%A3o+Gargat%C3%A9&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Gargaté Maria João</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Rafael+Calero-Bernal&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Calero-Bernal Rafael</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Pikka+Jokelainen&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Jokelainen Pikka</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Frank+Seeber&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Seeber Frank</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Jacek+Sroka&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Sroka Jacek</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Anna+Lund%C3%A9n&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Lundén Anna</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Oda+van+den+Berg&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">van den Berg Oda</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Solveig+Jore&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Jore Solveig</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Henk+J+Wisselink&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Wisselink Henk J</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Filip+D%C3%A1mek&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Dámek Filip</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Lasse+S+Vestergaard&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Vestergaard Lasse S</a>, <a href="/search?value1=Marieke+Opsteegh&option1=author&noRedirect=true" class="nonDisambigAuthorLink">Opsteegh Marieke</a></span>. Systematic review and modelling of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in humans, Europe, 2000 to 2021. <a href="/content/ecdc">Euro Surveill.</a> 2025;30(34):pii=2500069. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.34.2500069" title="doi link" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2025.30.34.2500069</a> <span class="ES_Article_citation"> <span class="generated">Received</span>: 23 Jan 2025;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="generated">Accepted</span>: 30 May 2025 </span> </p>
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