SEROEPIDEMIOLOGY OF ETIOLOGIC AGENTS OF THE ToRCH SYNDROME IN AMERINDIAN WOMEN IN FERTILE AGE FROM ZULIA STATE, VENEZUELA PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Introduction: The etiologic agents of the ToRCH syndrome (Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Herpes Simplex virus 1 and 2 (VHS-1) and (VHS-2)) are pathogenic causes of intrauterine infections. Their prevalence varies according to geographic situation, weather and, socioeconomic and cultural conditions.

Objectives: It was to determine the prevalence of the agents of the TORCH Syndrome in women in fertile age of Yucpa amerindian communities Yucpa from Zulia state, Venezuela.

Patients and methods: It was studied 71 women in fertile age (15-55 years old) belong to Yucpa amerindian communities of Tokuko (n=30), Kasmera (n=26) and Yaza (n=15). The anti-ToRCH IgG antibodies were detected by the technique of EIA (Smartest of Diagnostics, Israel).

Results: All studied women showed IgG against Toxoplasma gondii. The prevalence of CMV was 83.3%, 65.3%, 46.6% in women from Tokuko, Kasmera and Yaza respectively. The prevalence of Rubella was 93,1% in Tokuko, 92,3% in Kasmera, and 100% in Yaza. Herpes prevalence was detected in 100% of women from Tokuko and Kasmera, and 93,3% from Yaza.

Discussion: The high prevalence observed in this study demonstrates the high degree of susceptibility of the women from the studied Yucpa amerindian communities to the infection by ToRCH agents. This risk may be due to the lack of vaccination program in these communities, overall the Rubella immunization.

Conclusion: Coexistence with domestic animals, governmental no-careful, crowded, could be the determining factors in the acquisition of these agents. The high current natality rate of these communities combined with the lack of control pre and postnatal suggests the high risk to not detecting embryonic injuries in these communities.