Epidemiology of toxoplasmosis in the U.K.

The overall rate of toxoplasma infection in the U.K. is between 23-33% though there is evidence of regional variation. Seropositivity increases by 0.5-1.0% per annum to reach about 50% at the age of 60 years. The incidence of acute infection in pregnant women is about 2-2.6% per thousand pregnancies while the transplacental transmission rate is reported to range from 0% to 40%. As there is no official notification of congenital toxoplasma infections within U.K. the true number of cases is not known. However, information relating to the prevalence of infection in the general population in the U.K. is outdated and new studies are urgently required.