EPIDEMIOLOGY OF GESTATIONAL TOXOPLASMOSIS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CASTANHAL, PARÁ: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS (2020–2025)

Abstract

Gestational toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis with significant impact on maternal and child health, particularly in the Amazon, where climatic, environmental and social factors favor the circulation of Toxoplasma gondii. To analyze the epidemiological profile of gestational toxoplasmosis cases reported in the municipality of Castanhal, Pará, Brazil, between 2020 and 2025. Observational, descriptive, retrospective study with a quantitative approach, using secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN), considering variables such as year of notification, age group, race/skin color and educational level. A total of 138 cases were reported, with an increasing trend between 2020 and 2024 (from 11 to 41 notifications) followed by a decline in 2025 (27 notifications), possibly related to incomplete records for the most recent period. Most cases occurred among women aged 20–39 years (81.9%), self-declared as brown/mixed race (94.9%), and with completed secondary education (58.0%), a profile consistent with findings from other regions of the country. Findings reinforce Castanhal as an epidemiologically relevant setting for gestational toxoplasmosis and point to the need to strengthen epidemiological surveillance and improve prenatal care in the municipality.