Congenital Toxoplasmosis as a notifiable disease: epidemiological situation in Spain, 2021–2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4321/s2173-92772026000300008Keywords:
congenital toxoplasmosis, epidemiological surveillance, notifiable diseaseAbstract
Introduction: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii. It becomes particularly relevant during pregnancy because of the risk of transmission to the foetus, which can lead to congenital toxoplasmosis (CT). In Spain, CT is a notifiable disease. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological situation of CT in Spain during the period 2021–2025, based on cases reported to the Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases.
Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of autochthonous CT cases reported to the Surveillance System for Communicable Diseases (2021–2025). Epidemiological variables related to time, place, and person were analysed, frequency and annual and cumulative notification rates (NR) per 10,000 live births were calculated with their 95% confidence intervals.
Results: A total of 25 confirmed autochthonous CT cases were notified. A progressive increase was observed in the annual number of cases (from 1 in 2021 to 8 in 2025) and in NR (from 0.03 in 2021 to 0.25 in 2025). Comunidad Valenciana reported the highest number of total cases (n=6), while Navarre and Galicia showed the highest cumulative NR (0.41 cases per 10,000 live births).
Conclusions: CT notifications increased during the study period, although these data do not establish a true increase in incidence. Potential underreporting and regional differences in case detection highlight the need to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and harmonize prevention, early diagnosis and follow-up strategies.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Maria Felicidad Zuñiga Armijos, Allegra Chatterjee, Rocío Amillategui, Marc Gordo-Basté, Marta Casas García, Rosa Mª Estévez-Reboredo
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