Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method

On the basis of previously published work, the skin test for toxoplasmosis has been judged to be a convenient and sufficiently reliable method for carrying out epidemiological group investigations intended to elucidate the spread of the disease. With it one can probably detect as many persons with s...

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Published in:Epidemiology and Infection
Main Author: Hedqvist, T.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1953
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022172400036755
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022172400036755
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spelling crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022172400036755 2024-03-03T08:47:16+00:00 Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method Hedqvist, T. 1953 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022172400036755 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022172400036755 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Epidemiology and Infection volume 51, issue 4, page 478-482 ISSN 0950-2688 1469-4409 Infectious Diseases Epidemiology journal-article 1953 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022172400036755 2024-02-08T08:43:30Z On the basis of previously published work, the skin test for toxoplasmosis has been judged to be a convenient and sufficiently reliable method for carrying out epidemiological group investigations intended to elucidate the spread of the disease. With it one can probably detect as many persons with serologically demonstrable antibodies against toxoplasma as when the same persons are examined by means of the routine dye test. An investigation employing skin testing has been carried out on 648 persons between the age of 0 and 45 years, all living in or adjacent to a town in Central Sweden. The reagent used (toxoplasmin) was prepared from toxoplasma cultures grown on embryonated hen's eggs by the State Bacteriological Laboratories, Stockholm. Amongst 379 children under the age of 15 years, only one gave a positive reaction, whereas in the higher age groups the frequency of positives rose rather rapidly to 40% in the age group 30–45 years. The results show fair agreement with those previously reported from similar investigations, with one very noticeable exception: in North Sweden skin reactions have proved positive in a bare 10% of adults studied. The significance of this observation is discussed in regard to the epidemiological characters of the disease. Having due regard to our incomplete knowledge of the subject, attention is drawn to the possibility that reservoirs of infection are extrahuman and that transfer of the disease to human beings occurs through the medium of biting insects or contaminated food. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Sweden Cambridge University Press Epidemiology and Infection 51 4 478 482
institution Open Polar
collection Cambridge University Press
op_collection_id crcambridgeupr
language English
topic Infectious Diseases
Epidemiology
spellingShingle Infectious Diseases
Epidemiology
Hedqvist, T.
Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method
topic_facet Infectious Diseases
Epidemiology
description On the basis of previously published work, the skin test for toxoplasmosis has been judged to be a convenient and sufficiently reliable method for carrying out epidemiological group investigations intended to elucidate the spread of the disease. With it one can probably detect as many persons with serologically demonstrable antibodies against toxoplasma as when the same persons are examined by means of the routine dye test. An investigation employing skin testing has been carried out on 648 persons between the age of 0 and 45 years, all living in or adjacent to a town in Central Sweden. The reagent used (toxoplasmin) was prepared from toxoplasma cultures grown on embryonated hen's eggs by the State Bacteriological Laboratories, Stockholm. Amongst 379 children under the age of 15 years, only one gave a positive reaction, whereas in the higher age groups the frequency of positives rose rather rapidly to 40% in the age group 30–45 years. The results show fair agreement with those previously reported from similar investigations, with one very noticeable exception: in North Sweden skin reactions have proved positive in a bare 10% of adults studied. The significance of this observation is discussed in regard to the epidemiological characters of the disease. Having due regard to our incomplete knowledge of the subject, attention is drawn to the possibility that reservoirs of infection are extrahuman and that transfer of the disease to human beings occurs through the medium of biting insects or contaminated food.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Hedqvist, T.
author_facet Hedqvist, T.
author_sort Hedqvist, T.
title Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method
title_short Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method
title_full Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method
title_fullStr Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method
title_full_unstemmed Toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method
title_sort toxoplasma infection at different ages, studied by the skin-test method
publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)
publishDate 1953
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022172400036755
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022172400036755
genre North Sweden
genre_facet North Sweden
op_source Epidemiology and Infection
volume 51, issue 4, page 478-482
ISSN 0950-2688 1469-4409
op_rights https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022172400036755
container_title Epidemiology and Infection
container_volume 51
container_issue 4
container_start_page 478
op_container_end_page 482
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