{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,2]],"date-time":"2026-09-02T20:32:16Z","timestamp":1788381136637,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,18]],"date-time":"2017-11-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1510963200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge and practices about toxoplasmosis in a sample of clinical laboratory professionals in Mexico. Methods: 192 clinical laboratory professionals were surveyed. They were asked about (1) Toxoplasma gondii; (2) clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology of toxoplasmosis; and (3) their practices with respect to toxoplasmosis. Results: The range of animals infected by T. gondii was known by 44.8% of participants. Clinical aspects of toxoplasmosis were known by up to 44.3% of subjects. Correct answers about the interpretation of serological markers of T. gondii infection were provided by up to 32.8% of participants. A minority (32.2%) of participants knew about a high number of false positive results of anti-T. gondii IgM antibody tests. Most participants (90.1%) did not know what the anti-T. gondii IgG avidity test was. Up to 55.7% of participants provided incorrect answers about the interpretation of serology tests for the treatment of pregnant women. Common routes of T. gondii infection were known by &lt;15% of participants. Most (84.4%) participants had not performed tests for detection T. gondii infection. Conclusions: Results indicate incomplete knowledge of T. gondii infection and toxoplasmosis and a limited practice of laboratory tests among the professionals surveyed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph14111413","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,20]],"date-time":"2017-11-20T11:35:45Z","timestamp":1511177745000},"page":"1413","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Knowledge and Practices of Toxoplasmosis among Clinical Laboratory Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study in Durango, Mexico"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0367-6052","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cosme","family":"Alvarado-Esquivel","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S\/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luis","family":"S\u00e1nchez-Anguiano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Scientific Research \u201cDr. Roberto Rivera Damm\u201d, Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S\/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luis","family":"Berumen-Segovia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S\/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jes\u00fas","family":"Hern\u00e1ndez-Tinoco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute for Scientific Research \u201cDr. Roberto Rivera Damm\u201d, Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S\/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yazmin","family":"Rico-Almochantaf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S\/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alfredo","family":"Cisneros-Camacho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S\/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jorge","family":"Cisneros-Mart\u00ednez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Nutrition, Ju\u00e1rez University of Durango State, Avenida Universidad S\/N, 34000 Durango, Mexico"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"805","DOI":"10.3109\/00365548.2012.693197","article-title":"A review on human toxoplasmosis","volume":"44","author":"Saadatnia","year":"2012","journal-title":"Scand. J. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"150","DOI":"10.1017\/S1466252315000183","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii: History and diagnostic test development","volume":"16","author":"Wyrosdick","year":"2015","journal-title":"Anim. Health Res. Rev."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.15698\/mic2017.07.579","article-title":"Impact of the host on Toxoplasma stage differentiation","volume":"4","author":"Rahman","year":"2017","journal-title":"Microb. Cell"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"634","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1469-0691.2002.00485.x","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii: Transmission, diagnosis and prevention","volume":"8","author":"Hill","year":"2002","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1965","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(04)16412-X","article-title":"Toxoplasmosis","volume":"363","author":"Montoya","year":"2004","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"47","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2017.01.004","article-title":"Seroepidemiology and risk assessment of Toxoplasma gondii infection in captive wild birds and mammals in two zoos in the North of Portugal","volume":"235","author":"Tidy","year":"2017","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"751","DOI":"10.1089\/fpd.2010.0795","article-title":"Toxoplasma in animals, food, and humans: An old parasite of new concern","volume":"8","author":"Rossitto","year":"2011","journal-title":"Foodborne Pathog. Dis."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.4103\/2229-5070.190813","article-title":"Congenital toxoplasmosis: Clinical features, outcomes, treatment, and prevention","volume":"6","author":"Singh","year":"2016","journal-title":"Trop. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"277","article-title":"Risk of transmission of infectious diseases by transfusion","volume":"66","year":"1998","journal-title":"Ginecol. Obstet. Mex."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"490","DOI":"10.1038\/ncpneph0255","article-title":"Parasitic infections in transplant recipients","volume":"2","author":"Barsoum","year":"2006","journal-title":"Nat. Clin. Pract. Nephrol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2008.08.002","article-title":"The immunobiology of the innate response to Toxoplasma gondii","volume":"39","author":"Miller","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1007\/s00347-007-1535-8","article-title":"Ocular toxoplasmosis","volume":"104","author":"Pleyer","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ophthalmologe"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139","DOI":"10.1017\/S0031182011001880","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in China","volume":"139","author":"Gao","year":"2012","journal-title":"Parasitology"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1159\/000445113","article-title":"Prognosis of Fetal Parenchymal Cerebral Lesions without Ventriculomegaly in Congenital Toxoplasmosis Infection","volume":"41","author":"Dhombres","year":"2017","journal-title":"Fetal Diagn. Ther."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cca.2016.07.018","article-title":"Serological diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and standardization","volume":"461","author":"Zhang","year":"2016","journal-title":"Clin. Chim. Acta"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"13","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diagmicrobio.2017.06.004","article-title":"Evaluation of serological and molecular tests used to identify Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women attended in a public health service in S\u00e3o Paulo state, Brazil","volume":"89","author":"Murata","year":"2017","journal-title":"Diagn. Microbiol. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"174","DOI":"10.1128\/jcm.35.1.174-178.1997","article-title":"False-positive results in immunoglobulin M (IgM) Toxoplasma antibody tests and importance of confirmatory testing: The Platelia Toxo IgM test","volume":"35","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"1997","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3601","DOI":"10.1128\/JCM.01663-15","article-title":"Significance of a Positive Toxoplasma Immunoglobulin M Test Result in the United States","volume":"53","author":"Dhakal","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Clin. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"520","DOI":"10.1016\/S0188-4409(02)00411-3","article-title":"Comparison of two commercially available avidity tests for toxoplasma-specific IgG antibodies","volume":"33","author":"Sethi","year":"2002","journal-title":"Arch. Med. Res."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Barros, G.B., Lemos, E.M., E Silva-Dos-Santos, P.P., Dietze, R., Zandonade, E., Mineo, J.R., de Oliveira Silva, D.A., Pajuaba, A.C.M., de Souza Gomes, M., and do Amaral, L.R. (2017). Proposed panel of diagnostic tools for accurate temporal classification of symptomatic T. gondii infection. J. Immunol. Methods.","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jim.2017.08.010"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"570","DOI":"10.5604\/12321966.1226848","article-title":"Comparison of the efficiency of two commercial kits\u2014ELFA and Western blot in estimating the phase of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women","volume":"23","author":"Sroka","year":"2016","journal-title":"Ann. Agric. Environ. Med."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"50","article-title":"Comparison of IIF, ELISA and IgG avidity tests for the detection of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in single serum sample from pregnant women","volume":"25","author":"Naghili","year":"2017","journal-title":"Infez. Med."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.3347\/kjp.2014.52.5.493","article-title":"A new IgG immunoblot kit for diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women","volume":"52","author":"Khammari","year":"2014","journal-title":"Korean J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Liu, Q., Wang, Z.D., Huang, S.Y., and Zhu, X.Q. (2015). Diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and typing of Toxoplasma gondii. Parasit. Vectors.","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-015-0902-6"},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"311","article-title":"Knowledge and practices on toxoplasmosis in physicians attending pregnant women in Durango, Mexico","volume":"147","year":"2011","journal-title":"Gac. Med. Mex."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"545","DOI":"10.1007\/s00404-014-3450-y","article-title":"Survey of obstetrician-gynecologists in the United States about toxoplasmosis: 2012 Update","volume":"291","author":"Davis","year":"2015","journal-title":"Arch. Gynecol. Obstet."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alvarado-Esquivel, C., Campillo-Ruiz, F., and Liesenfeld, O. (2013). Seroepidemiology of infection with Toxoplasma gondii in migrant agricultural workers living in poverty in Durango, Mexico. Parasit. Vectors.","DOI":"10.1186\/1756-3305-6-113"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"847","DOI":"10.1645\/GE-2453.1","article-title":"Seroepidemiology of infection with Toxoplasma gondii in workers occupationally exposed to water, sewage, and soil in Durango, Mexico","volume":"96","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"941","DOI":"10.1645\/GE-2477.1","article-title":"Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in a Mennonite community in Durango State, Mexico","volume":"96","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alvarado-Esquivel, C., Mercado-Suarez, M.F., Rodr\u00edguez-Briones, A., Fallad-Torres, L., Ayala-Ayala, J.O., Nevarez-Piedra, L.J., Duran-Morales, E., Estrada-Mart\u00ednez, S., Liesenfeld, O., and M\u00e1rquez-Conde, J.A. (2007). Seroepidemiology of infection with Toxoplasma gondii in healthy blood donors of Durango, Mexico. BMC Infect. Dis.","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2334-7-75"},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"505","DOI":"10.1645\/GE-2378.1","article-title":"Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in patients with vision and hearing impairments, cancer, HIV, or undergoing hemodialysis in Durango, Mexico","volume":"96","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"138","DOI":"10.1089\/vbz.2011.0747","article-title":"Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Tepehuanos in Durango, Mexico","volume":"12","author":"Liesenfeld","year":"2012","journal-title":"Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"190","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2010.01.009","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii: Epidemiology, feline clinical aspects, and prevention","volume":"26","author":"Elmore","year":"2010","journal-title":"Trends Parasitol."}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/14\/11\/1413\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T18:50:09Z","timestamp":1760208609000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/14\/11\/1413"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,18]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2017,11]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph14111413"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph14111413","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,11,18]]}}}