<i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> Infection in Pregnant Women: Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection can lead to abortion in pregnant women. Unfortunately, very limited information is available concerning the seroprevalence and associated risk factors in pregnant women in Burkina Faso. Therefore, the present study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii among pregnant women attending for antenatal care. A cross-sectional study was conducted containing 579 pregnant in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Serological patterns were assessed by enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay and the study utilized univariate analysis to identify the potential risk factors for T. gondii infection. Of the 579 pregnant women investigated, 29.71% were tested as T. gondii-seropositive, with 25.91% seropositive for T. gondii IgG antibodies, 1.9% positive for IgM and 1.9% positive for both IgM and IgG. We found firstly that pregnant women consuming unpasteurized cow's milk had a significantly higher seroprevalence than individuals who did not consuming (30.15% vs 06.67%; p=0.0039). Then, age was associated with an increased risk of being seropositive for T. gondii, seroprevalence increases significantly with age, ranging from 18% for 15-25 year olds to 45% for those over 35 years old, pT. gondii (p=0.0065 and 0.023, respectively). The other risk factors like contact with soil, drinking water source, contact with cats and eating some under-cooked meat were not significantly associated with T. gondii infection. Altogether, our study showed that seroprevalence of T. gondii was mainly related to consumption of unpasteurized cow's milk, to patient age, to the number of pregnancies and to living children. The findings will provide key and baseline data for prevention and control of toxoplasmosis among pregnant women and other people.