Infection with Toxoplasma gondii is common and usually asymptomatic, but it can have serious consequences in pregnant women if passed to the developing fetus. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and to identify the possible risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in China. Of a sample of 235 pregnant women in Changchun, China, 25 (10.6%) were found by ELISA to be positive for IgG and none (0%) for IgM. Major risk factors were found by bivariate and multivariate analysis to include eating raw or undercooked meat, unwashed raw vegetables or fruit, contact with cats, living in rural areas, and low educational standards. In order to lower congenital infection, pregnant women need to be informed about the risk factors for toxoplasmosis.

In this paper, we study the use of the mean empirical likelihood (MEL) method in a first-order random coefficient integer-valued autoregressive model. The MEL ratio statistic is established, its limiting properties are discussed, and the confidence regions for the parameter of interest are derived. Furthermore, a simulation study is presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. Finally, a real data analysis of dengue fever is performed.

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