Abstract
Background This research was aimed at evaluating the seroprevalence of acute and chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in pregnant women and related risk factors in southwest Iran. Methods In this cross-sectional study, eighty-eight pregnant women were included from October 2019 to December 2019. The presence of anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, a questionnaire consisting of demographic information was completed for each subject. Results The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii infection was estimated to be 34.09% (30/88). Of these, 1 (1.13%) and 29 (32.95%) samples were found positive for IgM and IgG, respectively. Regarding the risk factors, the consumption of raw/undercooked meat (P value = 0.007) and history of abortion (P value = 0.017) were significantly associated with IgG seroprevalence in pregnant women. Conclusion The results showed that the pregnant women of southwest Iran might be moderately exposed to T. gondii. Since the risk of acute T. gondii infection in this susceptible group is very important, regular screening tests to diagnose the infection are recommended before pregnancy.
Highlights
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), an obligate intracellular parasite from the phylum Apicomplexa, is a zoonotic protozoan that infects numerous warm-blooded vertebrate species like humans, livestock, birds, and aquatic mammals [1, 2]
In terms of the residence, 30.35% (17/56) and 40.62% (13/32) of the subjects from urban and rural communities were seropositive for T. gondii, respectively (P value = 0.493 and 0.364 for IgG and IgM, respectively)
All the participants were divided into four categories which include 10-20, 21-30, 31-40, and 41-50 years, and the exposure to T. gondii was estimated as 20% (3/15), 38.09% (16/42), 34.61% (9/26), and 40% (2/5), respectively (P value = 0.711 and 0.775 for IgG and IgM, respectively)
Summary
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), an obligate intracellular parasite from the phylum Apicomplexa, is a zoonotic protozoan that infects numerous warm-blooded vertebrate species like humans, livestock, birds, and aquatic mammals [1, 2]. In the absence of prenatal screening programs in a specific region, the high percentage of acute T. gondii infections in this susceptible group will remain overlooked and left untreated [9, 10] To this end, the objective of this research was to evaluate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in pregnant women and their related risk factors in southwest Iran. This research was aimed at evaluating the seroprevalence of acute and chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in pregnant women and related risk factors in southwest Iran. Since the risk of acute T. gondii infection in this susceptible group is very important, regular screening tests to diagnose the infection are recommended before pregnancy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
