Background: The neglected tropical diseases, echinococcosis, schistosomiasis and toxoplasmosis are all globally
widespread zoonotic diseases with potentially harmful consequences. There is very limited data available on the
prevalence of these infections, except for schistosmiasis, in underdeveloped countries. This study aimed to
determine the seroprevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis, Schistosoma mansoni, and Toxoplasma gondii
antibodies in populations from the Monduli and Babati districts in Tanzania.
Methods: A total of 345 blood samples were collected from 160 and 185 randomly selected households from
Babati and Monduli districts, Tanzania between February and May of 2012 and analyzed them using the enzyme
linked immunosorbent assay. The antibodies were determined using the NovaLisa® Toxoplasma gondii IgG,
NovaLisa® Schistosoma Mansoni IgG, NovaLisa® Echinococcus IgG and NovaLisa® Toxoplasma gondii IgM kits
(Novatec, Germany).
Results: The seropositivity estimated for E. multilocularis, S. mansoni, and T. gondii IgG was 11.3% (95% confidence
interval (CI): 7.96 - 14.6), 51.3% (95% CI: 46.0 - 56.5), and 57.68% (95% CI: 52.5 - 62.9), respectively. The seropositivity
for T. gondii IgM was 11.3% (95% CI: 7.96 - 14.6). Living in the Monduli district was found to be the main risk factor
for IgG seropositivity for both schistosomiasis (OR =1.94; 95% CI: 1.23 - 3.08; p =0.005) and toxoplasmosis (OR =2.09;
95% CI: 1.31-3.33; p =0.002).
Conclusions: These results suggest that restricting disease transmission, implementing control measures, and
introducing training projects to increase public awareness are imperative, particularly for the Monduli district.